


Growth

by Enkida



Series: Growth [1]
Category: Final Fantasy VII
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2004-12-31
Updated: 2004-12-31
Packaged: 2019-08-02 18:10:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 47,394
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16310174
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Enkida/pseuds/Enkida
Summary: A story set 5 years after the end of FF7, centering around Yuffie, Vincent and Nanaki, and their adventures in the Northern Crater. Slight YxV. COMPLETE





	1. Post-Heroism

**Author's Note:**

> My Disclaimer is quoted from Woosh.org:  
> "You can't derive your work from someone else's work or copyright her work without her permission. Therefore, technically, all fan fictions, which are derivative works are copyright violations. While many copyright holders turn a blind eye to such works (…), they don't have to be so nice about it. In the end, it's completely up to the owner of the copyright to decide whether or not to enforce her rights, and prosecute the infringers."  
> Obviously I'm not making a profit from my fanfiction. FF7 and all its content and characters were created and belong to Squaresoft and its respective partners.

Vincent Valentine was angry. Yet another Toxic Frog was blasted away by the force of his fury (and his Death Penalty). With a sigh, he deftly brought the gun around and reloaded it. Another quick spin, and the last of the annoying little creatures was consigned to oblivion.

A growl escaped his throat as he inspected the "massacre" around him. Vincent Valentine… one of the saviors of the world, a member of AVALANCHE, the fabled group led by Cloud Strife, responsible for protecting the planet not only from meteor but also itself. He had helped defeat the Emerald Weapon, and yet here he was, reduced to exterminating Toxic Frogs which had suddenly started to appear in the Gongaga area. No, to say Vincent Valentine was angry would be erroneous. Vincent was fed up with his life, and how he had been conducting it up to this moment.

After what AVALANCHE had come to call "The Final Battle" with Jenova's Sephiroth, the group managed to limp back to Cosmo Canyon to lick their wounds. Vincent remembered that night clearly. What course could the heroes of the world possibly take after having saved it? From his point of view, just about anything would have been anticlimactic. The others didn't share his opinion, however.

_\- roughly 5 years earlier -_

Vincent sat back quietly, letting the folds of his cloak hide his face in the flickering shadows of the firelight.

"Well $§#! I know where the $!§# I'm going!" Cid yelled, gnashing his cigarette between his teeth in frustration. "I waited too §#!&"§# long already. You all better $§#!$&# decide where the $§!# you wanna go, before I take the Highwind and leave you here!" Cid was not a man who was known for his legendary patience, and currently there was a fire burning in his eyes more brightly than the Cosmo Candle.

The electronic cat bounced around on his huge stuffed moogle dejectedly. "Hey, I never thought about what would happen if we made it out alive! You mean we aren't going to stay together?" A huge paper crane flew towards Cait Sith and sent him tumbling off of the moogle.

"Gawd, Reeve, it's not like you were gonna die anyway. You're a big frickin' stuffed animal, your body wasn't even in the northern crater!" Yuffie smirked as she expertly caught the flying origami and returned to folding it in her lap. Nanaki had showed her some fossils in the canyon earlier, and her current obsession was to discover how to transform the traditional Wutaian paper crane into a "Cosmodactyle," as she called it.

Cait Sith somehow managed to look hurt, despite the fact that he was, indeed, only a stuffed toy. "That's not what I meant, Yuffie! Meteor almost hit Midgar, you know? I would have died too, along with the rest of the planet." The small cat sniffed dramatically for effect as he climbed back onto his toy.

"But we didn't die," interjected Tifa quietly. She was sitting next to Cloud, and it was apparent to Vincent that she wasn't planning on leaving his side anytime soon. For all he knew, Cloud could have stood up and said he was going to jump into the Lifestream right then and there, and Tifa would have gladly followed him. Vincent only hoped that one day the young warrior would be able to see Tifa's devotion as well.

"We need to go on with our lives. It's what Aeris would have wanted," she added, glancing quietly at Cloud. The rest of the group waited, each watching Cloud carefully for his reaction. He was, after all, still their leader in the end. And although he had been unusually silent in the days following his final battle with Sephiroth, the next words out of his mouth would decide what the rest of them would do, despite Cid's blustering.

Mako blue eyes finally looked up from the flickering flames of the fire, weariness etched on his face. "Yes… it's what Aeris would have wanted." He turned to Tifa and gave her a brief smile, before standing up, energy filling the air and command once again in his posture. "We have to go back to our own lives now." He walked around the fire, looking at each of them carefully as he spoke.

Vincent smiled ruefully behind the collar of his cloak; Cloud was skilled at being a leader. He wondered if the young warrior could be pressured into entering politics. Even if he didn't like the task, the spiky-haired blond would be good at it.

"The planet still needs us," Cloud continued. "Maybe it doesn't need warriors anymore. Sephiroth… Jenova… Shinra… the Cetra… they're all gone now. This planet belongs to us, for better or for worse." He paused, looking at the sky. The dramatic effect was palpitable, even if Cloud hadn't planned it. "We can't make the same mistakes as before. We have to take care of it now. It's our responsibility." He levelled a determined look at all of them.

Barret was the first to respond to the unspoken demand. "Yeah, well, I was thinkin' of goin' back to Corel. Y'know, helpin' them rebuild. It would be a good place for Marlene to grow up, where she's meant to be." The huge black man rubbed the barrel of his gun arm absently. "Guess it's time to go home," he finished, embarrassed.

Nanaki spoke up next, his golden eye glowing in the firelight. "I am home, here, in Cosmo Canyon." His tale flicked as he shifted in the firelight. "I am Nanaki, Guardian of Cosmo Canyon. I'll stay here and protect the Huge Materia, and continue Bugenhagen's work." Cloud nodded slightly at Nanaki; his decision wasn't surprising.

What was surprising was Cait Sith's reply, which came next. "I'm gonna stay here too!" the cat mewled happily, dancing around on the head of his moogle. "Well, I mean, Cait Sith is going to stay here," he added, calming down. His high-pitched robotic voice didn't take away from the seriousness he put behind his next words. "It's time for me to stop being the toy cat and return to being Reeve, the manager." The cat drooped comically over the moogle as he continued. "Midgar is finished… between meteor and holy, it's a miracle that any of us survived at all. Aeris' miracle." There was a moment of silence, and then the cat perked up once more as it waved its megaphone around wildly. "But I'm going to move to Junon. They could really use a good manager there, a man for the people. And that's me!"

Cloud looked at Cid next, who just gnawed on his ever-shortening cigarette and grimaced. "Don't make me !#§(#"§ spell it out, Strife!" He folded his arms across his chest, his face darkening suspiciously in the firelight. "I'm going back to Rocket Town as fast as the Highwind can take me," he growled. Quiet snickers were heard around the fire, increasing the intensity of colour on Cid's face. "§#! There's no better place to start an aerial program than in Rocket Town. The world's best pilot and Shinra's best technician are both gonna be livin' there-"

"Together!" came Yuffie's teasing screech across the darkness.

"&(#!" Cid coughed, choking on his cigarette smoke.

"Cid and Shera, sitting in a tree! K-I-S-S-I-N-" came the singsong reply. A few more snickers were heard before Cloud stepped in and saved the poor pilot.

"Yuffie, that's enough. What are you going to do, anyway?" He directed a pointed look at the young ninja, who immediately quieted down and began toying with the tattered origami bird in her lap.

"Weeeell," she began reluctantly. "I sorta have to keep a promise I made to Godo before I can go back to Wutai," she explained, mutilating the hapless paper toy. "So I'm probably gonna stick around Cosmo Canyon for a while," she finished lamely. It wasn't much of a reply, and she knew it.

"Yuffie, you helped us save the world!" Tifa scolded gently, standing up and seating herself next to the young girl. "What more could Godo possibly want from you?"

Looking at the two women side by side, Vincent noticed how frail and unsure Yuffie suddenly looked . It was hard to remember when she was fighting side by side with the rest of them that the cheerful ninja was still only sixteen years old. She had braved the ugliest incarnations of Jenova with the rest of them, and shared the same nightmares. Childhood just fell away under such extreme circumstances, but after their journey was over, sitting in the firelight, she looked every bit her age. Sixteen, happy, and at times overconfident, but in the end still a child, looking for guidance and approval. It was unfortunate that Aeris was no longer there… but fortunate that Tifa was perceptive enough to see that Yuffie needed to talk.

"Yuffie… come on, what is it? You can tell us, we're you're friends," Tifa said quietly, an encouraging look on her face. She reached down and patted the young girl's hand carefully, giving her a warm smile.

Yuffie remained silent for a moment, the paper crane in her lap torn completely to shreds by her nervous fingers. Then a small murmur came out.

"Ya have to speak louder kid, we can't hear ya," Barret said helpfully. Tifa shot the huge black man an annoyed glance, and he had the decency to look slightly embarrassed.

"I said…" Yuffie squeezed her eyes shut and took a deep breath. "I-need-to-keep-my-promise-to-Godo-and-it's-something-every-Wutai-warrior-has-to-do-before-they-can-become-a-ninja-I-mean-I'm-not-really-a-ninja-yet-you-see-well-technically-I-am-but-I-can't-rule-Wutai-until-I-fulfill-the-vow-I-made-to-Godo-and-boy-I-made-a-big-one-and-well-basically-I-need-all-of-your-materia-so-would-you-give-it-to-me-please?" She inhaled sharply as she finished, as everyone looked confused.

"What the !$?# did she just say?" asked Cid for the rest.

There was a moment of silence, and then Nanaki's voice broke the calm. "I think she wants our materia." And then chaos broke out across the campfire. Barret's disgruntled yell of disbelief, Cait Sith's laughter, Tifa's open-mouthed surprise, Cloud shaking his head and rubbing his temple, and Cid cursing that he left the Venus Gospel behind so he couldn't check that his materia was still in place. Vincent was one step ahead, his hand already on the Death Penalty to feel that the comforting orbs of crystallized mako energy hadn't moved. Yuffie sat through it all quietly, her face slowly getting red. Too late, Vincent realized it was "red like a volcano" and not "red out of embarrassment."

"GAWD! You think I came all the way across the ocean to help you fight that one-winged freak of nature all the way up in the middle of Leviathan's arse just so I could snitch your materia again? Your stuff's good, but it's not that good!" she screamed, her eyes blazing as she stood up. This caused another outburst among the group, which ended with Barret captured in the young ninja's headlock, Cid covered with many more mutilated paper cranes that appeared out of nowhere, and Cait Sith being stomped underneath Yuffie's sneaker while crying "Uncle!" repeatedly.

"Yuffie! Barret! Guys, please! Calm down!" Tifa's threatening voice managed to restore some semblance of order to the group. When they had all finally reseated themselves by the fireside, Cloud stepped forward once more.

"What do you need the materia for, Yuffie? Aeris and I were there when you climbed the pagoda, remember? Tifa's right, what more could you have to prove after that?"

Vincent's curiosity peaked slightly. The rest of the group had never been told what had occurred in the pagoda of Wutai. Apparently it was some sort of tradition that involved the "Five Mighty Gods." Vincent remembered them from the days of the Wutai-Shinra war, when he was still with the Turks. The legendary warriors of Wutai were formidable opponents indeed, but they had disappeared after their strongest warrior, the "fifth god," had been felled by Sephiroth. Vincent knew that the fifth warrior had been a woman by the name of Kisaragi. It didn't take a genius to figure out the connection there. But he still didn't know what had occurred inside that building. Both Cloud and Aeris had been tight-lipped and pale when they finally exited the pagoda, and Yuffie hadn't been with them. It had been three days later before the young ninja finally reappeared and their journey could continue. And then months later when she had surprised the rest of them by obliterating a heavy armoured tank in Midgar alone with the blasting attack she had titled "All Creation." Well, he thought to himself, no better time than the present.

"What did happen in the pagoda?" he asked quietly. This caused silence to settle among the group suddenly.

"He talked…" said Cait Sith in awe, covering his mouth with a large furry paw.

"Yeah, he talked, and of all the things to ask!" Yuffie said wryly, rolling her eyes. "What happened in that pagoda is none of your beeswax, mister, and you're not gonna find it out from me." She glared furiously at Cloud for a moment, before adding "Or from any of us!"

Cloud frowned and looked like he was developing a headache. "Yuffie. Something did happen in that Pagoda that nearly killed you, and now you're telling us that it's not enough? You STILL need our materia? Why?" The young ninja's face set in a stubborn pout, and Cloud sighed and played his ace. It was a low blow, really, but everyone knew about Yuffie's obvious crush on the blond hero. "Please, Yuffie… we need to know. **_I_ ** need to know."

There was nothing like soothing words from a young girl's idol to make her resolve crumble, and as it did, Vincent absently noted once more that Cloud would make an excellent politician. Or at least a lawyer.

"All right, all right. I can't tell you what happened in the Pagoda exactly, but it was a part of this really long, boring and outdated ascension ritual in Wutai!" Yuffie wrung her hands together and jumped up, pacing around the campfire nervously. "Usually only boys go through it, but since Godo managed to have me, that makes me the only heir to Wutai. So I get to be the exception."

She turned quickly, and began to pace in the opposite direction, making Vincent slightly dizzy, so he kept his eyes focused on the fire instead.

"A warrior has to go through all the usual tests to become a full-fledged ninja… weapons mastery, stealth, and a journey to prove yourself." She fidgeted slightly before resuming her nervous beeline around the edge of the fire. "But you have to do more if you want to be the next ruler of Wutai. You have to prove yourself skilled in battle, that I did in the Pagoda. But you also have to bring something back of worth to the village during your journey." She stopped and smiled nervously at the rest of the group. "Well, I sorta vowed to bring back something that no one had ever seen before, something that would make Wutai great again."

"… our materia," Cloud finished drily for her.

Yuffie jumped up and down, and angry expression on her face. "No no no! You don't understand anything, Cloud!" Returning to her original seat, she flopped down by the fireplace messily. "I promised to bring back something that NO ONE HAD EVER SEEN BEFORE." Seeing the group's confused look, she rolled her eyes. "I tried to steal your materia the first time, and I showed it to Godo and the others."

"An' don't think we forgot it, brat!" came Barret's angry reply.

Yuffie stuck her tongue out at him and then smacked her forehead. "Geez, you guys are really dense! I showed your materia to Godo and the others, and then I GAVE IT BACK." A few crickets chirped in the silence that followed. Finally, Tifa broke the silence.

"But… Yuffie. We had already started working on mastering the magic materia back then. You took almost 50 different pieces of materia…" she began slowly.

Yuffie nodded, turning to Tifa with a look of desperation. "You see what I mean? I can't just take your materia anymore. And I don't want to, either! But I still need to bring back something of worth to Wutai. Something that no one's ever seen before! That's why I need your materia. Not all of it, just one little low-level sample of each kind. And not permanently! I just need to borrow them, see, for a couple of years…"

"A couple of years!" came Barret's expected cry of indignation. Cid just swore and look confused. "What the $!# do you need all that materia for, Yuffie?"

Yuffie dropped her hand into her lap and looked down shamefacedly. "Trust me, you don't want to know…" she started. "But I promise to give it back, I do! And I'll take good care of it while I have it. You won't lose anything, I swear, but I need to do this, and I want to do it with your permission!" The young girl's voice was tinged with a note of desperation.

Silence settled among the group. It was finally broken once again by Tifa, always the one to smooth things over. There was also a glimmer of understanding in the older woman's eyes, as she leaned over and gave Yuffie a small hug. "Of course you can have my materia, Yuffie. Cloud said it himself. The world doesn't need warriors anymore. We don't need that materia, do we?" As she spoke, her voice rose in pitch slightly, and she glared at Cloud determinedly.

Vincent chuckled inwardly as he watched the silent exchange between Cloud and Tifa. The woman might be utterly devoted to the young man, but she still had a will of iron when it came to helping out her friends. Finally, Cloud capitulated, shrugging his shoulders. He was the leader of the group, and the rest of them did what he said, even if they didn't like it.

"Okay, Yuffie. But you're not getting any of the mastered materia. And we're going to expect you to return all of the summons and high-level magic to their rightful owners when you're finished with them, otherwise, **I'm** going to come looking for you." Cloud relayed the last part of his message with a stern face, but already the group had descended into chaos once more. Yuffie had immediately jumped up and cheered, and then hugged both Cloud and Tifa wildly while yelling out her thanks. Barret and Cid had immediately jumped up in vocal protest, and Cait Sith's metallic, mewling laughter drowned them all out. Vincent had shared a silent look with Nanaki, and the two had shrugged and left the rest of the AVALANCHE members to their own devices, any hope for serious conversation that evening finished.

_\- back in the present day -_

Vincent sighed as he slowly approached the town of Gongaga. The group had parted their ways the next day after that wild night five years ago. As he had silently desired, Cloud had passed him over in his "inspection." He wondered now if that had been a good idea. If he hadn't been so reticent during the evening and managed to avoid Cloud's piercing gaze, he might not be relegated to hiring out as a monster-killing mercenary in this post-meteor world. Absently, he realized that he had been the only one to successfully dodge the question of his responsibility to the planet.

Cloud and Tifa had asked to be dropped off first in the remains of Midgar, to help the remaining survivors evacuate. He knew that they had eventually resettled in Costa del Sol after a few years, where Tifa opened up a successful resort bar. Cloud was the de facto village mayor, not that there was much to run in the peaceful resort town. When he wasn't being called away on official diplomatic business between the other budding cities, he helped out at the bar, acting as Tifa's very intimidating, if a little short, bouncer.

And as for himself? Vincent had asked Cid to return him to Nibelheim. He remembered Yuffie's taunting call as the airship had lifted off. "Going back to sleep in the coffin for another 30 years, Vince? You shoulda given me all of your materia, jerk!" The tease had been softened by her huge smile and wild wave as they had lifted off, but Cloud had at the last minute turned to him and made only one request.

" _Don't hide from the world anymore, Vincent. Wake up."_

Vincent growled once more as he stepped out of the bounty office, the thankful chief of the town handing him a ridiculously small amount of coins for relieving the village of its amphibian problems. Eyeing the money in disgust, he shook his head. "This isn't being awake. This is a living nightmare," he mumbled, shouldering his pack and heading out into the forest once more.

… … …

The afternoon sky was covered by the thick foliage overhead, and Vincent's clothing wasn't making his hike through the jungle-like forests any easier. Fortunately, or perhaps more unfortunately, his body had been modified enough by Hojo's experiments not to suffer readily under the effects of the heat. He was still human enough to appreciate the miserable humidity, though.

 _Everyone has found their place. Everyone but me._ Those thoughts repeated through Vincent's mind as he pushed forward aimlessly through the dense jungle. Absently, he realized he was slowly making his way back towards the waterfall. Home away from home. Not quite the coffin in Nibelheim, but still a grave. Yuffie was right, he should have given her all of his materia. It wasn't quite 30 years yet, but he already had five down as a dead man. Perhaps the semblance of living was enough to fool the others, the ones who hired him, along with two random encounters through the years with Reeve and Barret.

When they did meet, they traded snippets and pieces of news with each other. He told them of what he did for a living now. The famous Vincent Valentine, the silent hunter who always got the job done. Only, the years and his time with Cloud's group had burdened him with a conscience. Mercenary work was easy to come by in the ruins of the post-meteor world. Mercenary work for a man with a conscience was a completely different matter, however. Small towns were rebuilding and cropping up all over the continents, and with them the inevitable struggles for power. The others did what they could, travelling from town to town, and establishing peaceful circles of order with their influence over the people. But already more than once Vincent had been hired to protect a newly installed leader from a power struggle or assassination attempt, only to have his ward turn to him with a similar gruesome request. In the end it all came down to killing. Vincent Valentine, former professional killer, had lost his nerve. And now, all that was left was protecting the small towns from the occasional wolves or frogs or flying jokers. This was no way for a man to live. A wry smile twitched his lips at that thought. _It's not even a way for me to live_ , he added silently.

The days turned into nights, and the nights into days. Vincent pushed on, unaware of the passage of time, removing the monsters foolish enough to stand in his path almost methodically. He moved ever closer to his goal, the jungle giving way to plains, the plains to mountains, and finally, the mountains to the soothing crystal water of his home.

 _Home. Not my home. Lucretia's home_ , he thought to himself as he looked down from the cliff side of the mountain to the sparkling waterfall below. That thought brought a twinge of regret to his breast. _Regret is hard for a man whose heart has shriveled and died. What is this feeling? If not regret…_

The unspeakable emotion swirled around him for some time, leaving him feeling breathless, confused, and weak. When he recovered his bearings, he made his way down the mountainside, tripping and falling, until he reached the crystal clear curtain of water blocking entrance to the cavern beyond.

"Lucretia…" he murmured to himself, reaching out towards the sheet of water before him. The feeling stirred in his breast once more, thrashing and turning, demanding to be given release. "Lucretia." The overwhelming presence, the sense of her suddenly rose around him. Memories rushed over him, louder than the roar of the water that pounded on his shoulders. He hadn't even realized his feet were moving, and suddenly, he was inside. Surrounded by the sterile crystalline beauty of the cave. Still as timeless, artificial and cold as ever even now that it was abandoned. A whisper of wind stirred through the cavern.

Lucretia was not here. Lucretia was gone, the phantom he remembered from his last visit was a restless spirit, the remains of what was once a woman with her will prolonged only by the unholy power of Jenova. Still, it had been long enough for her to express her discontent one final time to Vincent. And then they destroyed Sephiroth, and with him, the last remnants of Jenova. And Lucretia. His son and his lover, with one sweeping blow. The feeling pounded through his chest once more, painful now.

"Is this love… Lucretia?" he whispered to the barren cavern walls. They stared back at him mercilessly, unchanging, unnatural, strangely cold and yet beautiful. Vincent realized something as the beast pounding at his breast slowly emerged, tendril by tendril.

"You were never here," he said to the empty walls. "My Lucretia was never here. My Lucretia…" Vincent's voice cracked slightly as he spoke. "… never was." And the beast tore free from his breast, howling with rage, black wings unfurling as Chaos took flight, tearing at the cold, impersonal walls of the cavern, shattering its perfect crystalline beauty.

Some time later, Vincent awoke, surrounded by the ruins of the once pristine cavern. Strangely enough, though his rampage as the Chaos beast had managed to shatter the artificial symmetry of the cavern, even surrounded by the haphazard shards of sparkling crystal he felt the oppressive sterility of the cavern all around him.

Vincent rose to his knees slowly and sat back. Removing the Death Penalty from its holster, he laid it across his knees and studied the clean lines of the gun. _Why… why did I come here? Why did I do this?_

He thought of Lucretia as he studied the cool metal of the weapon before him. She was so strikingly beautiful, with her long, flowing hair and emerald green eyes. He had been madly in love with her, and would have done anything she asked, anything at all. He had also been so sure that she had felt the same way… so why did she marry Hojo? What mistake had he made? The unfamiliar feeling stirred inside him once more, but this time it was faint, spent from its recent rampage.

The realization made him start. He had transformed into Chaos and destroyed what he had once considered his home. Chaos only emerged from Vincent when he was under duress… or pressure from strong, overwhelming negative emotions. Emotions usually of uncontrollable rage.

"So, I'm angry," he finally said. Now that it was identified, it seemed ridiculous to have taken so long to name the feelings within him. It also seemed, like most of his actions these days, dramatically understated. _It's a thin line between love and hate._

The reasons came to him one after another, falling into place like the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle as he studied the gun. "It was never quite love, was it," he said softly, running his hand over the gun. He had been too young to see it, only 27 years old at the time, full of hot-headed exuberant passion and mistaking it for love. Lucretia must have known, though. She was older than him, still heartbreakingly beautiful, but dedicated to her career as a scientist before anything else. He was a Turk, the new leader of the group that was doing very well taking care of Shinra's dirty work. Vincent was young, up and coming, a fast mover within the organization. He knew how to do his job, and he did it well, almost as cold and efficient as Shinra himself. He was white hot, and she was to be his girl, or so he thought. His passion, his fervor, it must have affected even her like a disease. The ardor of his attentions overwhelmed her single-minded devotion to her career, and then suddenly, 35 years of work, 35 years of a life dedicated to science were blown away like a candle in a gale force wind. All for a single night of passion, that was all she had ever let him have, but it was more than enough to change their relationship permanently. The realization was sobering to Vincent. It was no wonder she hated him. Loved him and hated him, all at the same time, just as he loved and hated her. Just as they both loved and hated their son.

He stroked the gun once more, Lucretia's gift to him, during their last sally to destroy Sephiroth's will. She had never known him, but he was her son. And yet, she was Jenova… how could she not have known? Thinking too much about the webs of deception they had spun around each other in their lover's fencing game made his head ache and his heart long for the days when everything was simpler. When true love was true love, and Lucretia's actions were just an inexplicable fluke in what should have been a fairy tale romance. But now he realized they had been dancing around each other like wolves in a hunt all this time. 30 years in the coffin had only delayed their game of wits, not removed it. And Lucretia's final gifts were a double-edged sword.

The Death Penalty. A superb rifle, its craftsmanship unearthly in nature. It was almost organic, a weapon that pulsed and responded to his will and desire, growing stronger with each foe he felled from its barrel. But that was the crux of the matter. Without the weapon, Vincent would not have been powerful enough to survive Sephiroth's final onslaught. And yet using the weapon chained him to his fate. _Kill, or be killed. Destruction is the only way to power. And you, you will always be trapped in this path. A reminder of your bloody past, and your hopeless future._ The gun winked innocently at him, reflected in the light of a thousand crystal shards. The beast stirred faintly in his chest once more.

 _And Chaos. We can't forget Chaos, now can we._ The ultimate monster, the ultimate power. The first transformation had left his fellow companions breathless and more than a little wary of him. The monster within Vincent was uncontrollable, just as all the others were, but this was the only one that gleamed with a spark of intelligence, a spark of consciousness that spoke of the dark side of Vincent's will. He remembered clearly now his last thought, as he had imbibed himself with the flask that unleashed Chaos' power. _I'm becoming less human. Lucretia's blessing. Lucretia's curse._

It didn't matter now, for in the end it was he who had won their sparring match. He gave her an unwanted child, she married the sum of her ambition, if only to spite him. He wanted to save her, he came to her with his questions and passion and furious protection, and she gave herself and her child to Hojo completely. He wanted to save the child, and in the end he gave himself to Hojo as well. And they both died and came back, chained to the world not only by science but by their obsession with each other. She gave him his cursed gifts, and they allowed him to win their lover's quarrel. And she died. And he lived on, endlessly. Perhaps she hadn't lost after all.

Some time later, Vincent managed to stumble out of the cave, finally free of its crystalline grasp. He recognized the revelations within himself as huge steps towards self discovery, but unlike all the psychiatrists would claim, he didn't feel freed from his burdens. They only felt heavier, more oppressive now that he recognized that he had been a willing participant in his own damnation.

"Rest… I need rest," he mumbled to himself, running his good hand over his face wearily. The slowly emerging stars of the evening sky greeted him, winking from overhead. Such a clear sky at night in this area was undoubtedly the result of being so close to a pristine part of the planet. Cosmo Canyon was said to be closer to the lifestream than even Mideel or Midgar. But unlike in the other two cities, it didn't happen by circumstance. It was almost as if the denizens of Cosmo Canyon had chosen to live at one with the planet. That calmness radiated outward like a soothing balm from the area, affecting both the land and the creatures that lived within it. And as Vincent studied the twilight sky, he realized that the respite offered by the Canyon was exactly what he was searching for.

 _Bugenhagen, he'll understand my burden. He might be able to give me some advice. And I could use some rest… some blessed peace._ The thought of being able to relax in Cosmo Canyon, welcomed by Nanaki and his friends, was an uplifting one and filled him with energy. As the moon rose overhead, it shone down on the singular form of the tall, dark man, making his way south across the mountaintops.


	2. Reunion

Cold winter air filled with oppressive grey clouds covered the sky. The clouds weren't even polite enough to stay in the heavens above and glare down at the people; no, they had to send out small emissaries of ill will to the rocky earth below, sporadic tendrils of mist and drizzle that would be enough to drive any traveller crazy.

Yuffie smirked and stuck her tongue out at the sky overhead. The weather only worked on those who were not already crazy in the first place, and that made her a definite exception to the rule. Scrabbling over the rocky mountainside, she made her way to the small mountain stream that she remembered had burst out from the surface some time before. "Oh my gawd, I'm gonna be so late!" she squeaked to herself as she settled near the spring and began to frantically scrub at her face and hands. The water was bitingly cold, but it was a small price to pay for the modicum of cleanliness that she so desperately needed.

A reflection caught in the stream made her pause, and Yuffie took a few precious seconds to sit back and regard her distorted features in the fast-moving water. "Hair's getting longer… gotta get that chopped when I get back," she mused to herself, toying at the strands. "With all the grime and monster guts all over it, doesn't make much of a difference anyway," she added with a grimace. It was no use trying to distract herself with the length or condition of her hair, though, as the figure in the water stared back accusingly. Nanaki had already commented on her appearance the last time she had returned to Cosmo Canyon, and now surely Cid would notice as well. She blinked, then winked at herself in the water, watching the weakly glowing reflection of her gray-violet eyes appear and disappear in the dark water.  _ Mako eyes _ , she though with irritation.  _ Yuffie Kisaragi is growing home-made mako eyes. As if Cloud and the others didn't think you were enough of a freak before! _ She snorted, annoyed, and pushed away from the water suddenly.

It wasn't as though she minded the change. After all, what could anyone expect, spending so much time embedded in the remains of the northern crater. The lifestream flowed through the ravaged ruins continuously, changing the landscape periodically as it tried to repair the areas damaged by their battle with Sephiroth. Even the innocent-looking water of the spring this far out from the bowels of the crater was probably more contaminated that the dirt surrounding Mideel.  _ The scientists would love to use you as the next research specimen for combating mako exposure if you let word of this get out. If they could get through Cloud and Tifa first, _ she thought with a smirk. There were perks to being renowned world heroes sometimes, and the right to demand (and violently enforce) one's privacy was just one of them.

Yuffie stood up, adjusting her pack, and began to sprint towards the peak of the cliff, where she knew the Highwind would be awaiting her. Cid was like clockwork, coming to collect her from the same spot on the face of the northern crater every three months. And every time his greeting was the same, he'd swear and call her the damn craziest girl he'd ever known, and who would spend their free time running around in a #§$hole like the northern crater? And she'd laugh, and tell him proudly that not even the monsters in the northern crater could get the best of the Great Ninja Yuffie Kisaragi, and spin around victoriously not only because it annoyed him, but also to show that she really wasn't hurt, but healthy and whole and back on his ship once more.

Cid was one of the few people Yuffie had learned to call a close friend during the last five years. They had never been very friendly during their time together in Cloud's group. After parting ways in Cosmo Canyon, Yuffie was certain that Cid would marry Shera, have 3.6 kids, and start wearing white golfing shoes by the time he was 35. While the first half of her prediction had come true, and Shera was already on her second pregnancy, the ever active pilot had done anything but settle down. Rocket Town was booming under his leadership, and the pilot training program he had established there was known to be the best in the world without question. It had actually been Nanaki to suggest that she contact him for transportation when she made her plan to travel to the remains of the northern crater first known.

" _ Yuffie, a gold chocobo can only take you so far, and it's too dangerous to spend that much time alone in the northern crater. Nobody knows what's up there anymore, and they stay away from it for good reason. At least if you ask Cid it will be faster, safer and he can keep an eye on you." _

And so here she was, five years later, racing towards the huge thundering metal contraption that was Cid's pride and joy, waving wildly as the pilot grinned and threw a rope ladder down towards her.  _ It sure feels good to be going back! _

Cid hauled her up as she neared the railing of the airship, enveloping her in a bear hug. "$#! It's #§&'!# good to see you again, kid. You get skinnier every time I look!"

Yuffie danced away from him with a grin and did her trademark spin. "And you're as ugly as ever, cancer-man! I don't know how Shera stands wakin' up to your face every day!" The silence that followed made her nervous. Cid was supposed to start with his good-natured ribbing right now. Blinking, she stopped and looked at him.

Cid's mouth had drawn into a thin line, the cigarette clenched firmly between his lips. There was a furious look on his face, the one he reserved for using only when he wanted to hide his concern. "What happened to your #§$&' eyes, Yuffie?" he grit out. "You're starting to look like Cloud, kid."

Yuffie feigned a look of mock indignation and patted her head. "Excuse me? I don't think my hair's that bad yet!" It was the wrong answer, as she noted by the way Cid's cigarette rolled between his gritted teeth.

"I'm takin' you back to Cosmo right now, Yuffie, and you're gonna #§$'$ stay there this time until we figure out what the &#!'s wrong with you."

Yuffie sighed inwardly and rolled her eyes. "Look, we can talk about this later, right now there are more important things to do! You HAVE to get this ship back to Cosmo Canyon, pronto! I can't believe I'm saying this, but turn on the jets, old man!" she said, hauling the rope ladder back on board.

Cid's face turned purple, and the cigarette dropped from his mouth completely. "What the $?# could be more important than your health, you damn idiot!?"

Yuffie turned around, joy radiating from her face as she dropped the tangled mass of ladder at his feet. "I found something important here this time, Cid. I found a future for Nanaki!" she yelled, hopping around excitedly. She laughed at the pilot's look of confusion as she grabbed his arm and spun him around wildly. "I found the survivors of the Gi tribe, Cid. I found more of his kind!"

… … …

Vincent sat back in the comfortable couch of the observatory and regarded the steaming cup of liquid in his hand. The residents of Cosmo Canyon had welcomed him back with open arms, if a little surprise. Vincent Valentine was only known there as the aloof hero of legend, the man who didn't need anyone. But the people lived among their own legend in the canyon, and it was only a brief moment of surprise before he was accepted as if his presence there was a normal, everyday thing.

Nanaki had come to greet him as soon as the word of his arrival reached his ears, and allowed him to spend some time relaxing and making himself comfortable in the Canyon. The large cat was wise in many ways, and knew when not to ask questions. But on the third day, he had called Vincent to the observatory on "a matter of importance," and that was how Vincent found himself sitting on the couch, sipping tea as he waited for the giant cat to speak. He wasn't disappointed, as Nanaki cut straight to the chase.

"We weren't expecting you, Vincent. You wanted to see Bugenhagen, and I apologize that he can't be here to help you right now." Nanaki paused, his tail swishing slightly. "I'm expecting visitors soon. Yuffie and Cid, to be exact. If you don't want to see any of the others right now or let them know how you've been, you chose the wrong time to stop by." He focused his good eye on Vincent attentively. "I think your timing is perfect. You cut yourself off from the rest of us, and now you're being given the opportunity to make up for it."

Vincent said nothing, still staring into his cup as he considered the giant cat's words.

"Yuffie will remain here for two weeks. Cid won't stay long, but he'll be back before Yuffie leaves again, and bring news from the others as well." The cat paused, giving Vincent a long and hard stare. "It's a tradition we've been keeping for the past four years. Every three months, Cid travels the world in the Highwind, carrying the latest news and messages for all of us. All of us except for you, Vincent."

Vincent finally looked up from his cup, his unblinking red stare meeting Nanaki's own. It was a fierce competition, but Nanaki finally looked away first, Vincent having a two-to-one advantage in the staring match. He shifted slightly, Nanaki's unspoken accusation thick in the air between them, creating an uncomfortable silence. He considered the fleeting moments of peace he had felt arriving in Cosmo Canyon, detesting how fragile they were to preserve. Still, nothing Nanaki had said was untruth; perhaps, like his actions with Lucretia, this was a trap of his own devising.

"I'll stay," the dark gunman finally said, causing Nanaki to blink with surprise. "And see them both." Something that could have been compared to a grin crossed the huge beast's long face as his teeth flashed, and suddenly, the air in the room seemed less oppressive. Lifting the cup to his lips, Vincent took a small sip and was surprised by the delicate flavour that filled his mouth. "This is excellent tea, Nanaki. Where did you find it?"

"Well," the cat grumbled, "it's actually a Wutai blend that was recommended to me by—"

"YUFFFFIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

The large cat's sentence was cut off as a loud bellow that sounded suspiciously like Cid was heard from outside. Both the gunman and the cat instantly jumped to attention, rushing outside to the balcony as they stared at the entrance to the village below.

Vincent quirked an eyebrow as he watched a flash of colour racing up the canyon steps towards the observatory. Following much more slowly behind was the more recognizable figure of Cid, who was leaning heavily on his lance as he worked his way up the many steps. All that chain smoking was finally catching up with the man's lungs, apparently. "Well, I'm glad you consulted me about this visit so I would have time to make an informed decision," he said to Nanaki drily as they watched the two figures approach.

Nanaki growled slightly under his breath as his tail flicked in annoyance. "I didn't know they would be arriving this soon. It's not usually like this; something must have happened. Come!" He turned towards the ladder leading to the lower cave, but already the ringing sound of feet on the metal could be heard. Yuffie could be quick when she wanted to.

Surely enough, her head burst out of the hole, followed shortly by her small body, which she immediately launched at Nanaki and enveloped in a giant hug. Her next words escaped in a giant woosh, spilling out of her like water from a faucet. "Nanaki, Nanaki! I'm back, and I have huge news! HUGE! Huger than the hugest materia in Cosmo, and you have some pretty darn huge materia here! It was so huge I made Cid turn on the rockets, and you KNOW how sick I get when he turns on the rockets! But this is unbelievable! You just got to hear this!"

Nanaki gently extracted himself from the girl's iron grip and gave her a toothy grin. It was always his theory that the talkative ninja went through withdrawal in the time she spent away from the Canyon and human contact. It was as though she was trying to make up for lost time in one breath. "It's good to see you again too, Yuffie. But aren't you forgetting something?"

Yuffie released Nanaki and leaned back, looking confused. Glancing over the giant cat's shoulder, she spied Vincent, standing tall and silent behind them. "Oh my GAWD!" she said, her eyes widening like saucers, just as Cid appeared from the opening below.

"Yuffie, you little §#!, I told you to slow the hell down—holy mother§&#in' &§ of §#!§$! Is that Valentine?!"

Vincent signed and narrowed his eyes briefly in annoyance. It was going to be a long visit after all.

… … …

"So, Vince, you finally stopped moping in Nibelheim and crawled outta that coffin to come visit us?" It wasn't the best way to start off the conversation, but Yuffie could care less, her mouth already stuffed with cookies and a large mug of tea in her hands.

Nanaki coughed politely, knowing that Vincent could only be pushed so far for progress in one day. "If you had bothered to keep yourself informed, Yuffie, you might have realized that Vincent has been busy these past years helping out various communities on the continent with safety issues."

"So you've been monster hunting too, huh?" the girl said, raising an eyebrow amusedly. "Gee, Vincent, I never would have figured you for one to go looking for more battle experience!" Vincent leveled her with a silent glare and said nothing. Cid, however, picked up on the comment as a convenient excuse to remember his annoyance with the young ninja.

"Looking for §#§$? 'battle experience' is what got you in this mess the in the first place, Yuffie! You care to tell me what you're gonna do about your eyes?"

"Cid!" the ninja squeaked in indignation. In the dim light of the northern crater, the faint glow around Yuffie's eyes was easy to detect. But in the broad daylight of Cosmo Canyon, her affliction was hardly noticeable. She had been hoping to keep THAT argument at bay for a while longer, but it was unavoidable now.

"Yuffie!" Nanaki's commanding voice carried across the room as he leapt down from his perch and padded over to her. "Let me see your eyes."

Yuffie swallowed quickly and squeezed her eyes shut, and she heard Nanaki sigh. Groaning, she knew she couldn't avoid the cat's inquisition forever and slowly cracked an eye open. What surprised her was that both Vincent and Cid were standing behind him, looking intently at her. Both eyes popped open in surprise at this as she sputtered. "What?!"

"Damn!" said Cid as one of Vincent's eyebrows raised. Nanaki growled under his throat and sat back. "Yuffie, the mako poisoning is getting worse each time I see you. I don't like the idea of you returning to that place, no matter what vows you made. The exposure was gradual at first, but the rate at which you're displaying the symptoms has increased dramatically since your last visit."

At this Cid turned red once more. "Last visit? You mean you $&#$!& knew about this and you let me take her back?! $&#! Son of a §$#!"

Yuffie grimaced and Nanaki turned around briefly to glare at Cid. "Technically, that's not true, since I'm feline, not canine. But don't you think I tried to stop her before?" The pilot swore once more and stomped away, crossing his arms over his chest angrily. Vincent just stood to the side, watching them silently. Finally, he broke in, his quiet voice still a shock for the others to hear.

"How did you get mako poisoning, Yuffie? You're showing the signs of long term exposure, at least two years' worth. Scientific research into human mako experimentation died with the Shinra Corporation."

Yuffie flopped backwards on the couch and swung her legs around lazily. "Mako exposure, mako poisoning!" she parroted, rolling her eyes once more. "I don't see why you guys are treating it like some kind of disease. I swear, I feel fine, and I think my vision's even improved!" She picked up another cookie and stuffed it into her mouth, chewing furiously. "I don't see what the big deal is, Tifa and Cloud got dunked headfirst into the lifestream and they came out just fine."

Nanaki frowned as much as he could with his long muzzle. "Tifa's eyes don't glow, Yuffie. We don't know what the long term effects of mako exposure might have on your body. You could be shortening your lifespan, or even making yourself sterile. How do you think Godo would react to that?"

The change in Yuffie's features were instantaneous at the mention of her father's name. "Godo? Hah! Like he'd care." Her face turned down in an ugly scowl. "He'd probably be glad that the Kisaragi line ended before it could produce another failure like me. Wutai will live! So don't even bother trying to pull that sort of a guilt trip on me, Nanaki!" Snorting, she looked away angrily. A short silence followed after Yuffie's outburst. But, despite being older now, the young woman's moods still changed as quickly as the weather, and soon after a radiant smile broke over her face. "But hey, you know you can't keep me from going back to the northern crater, and in fact, I bet you're gonna wanna come this time!" she said as she pointed at Nanaki, who sniffed curiously.

Cid turned around and chewed on his cigarette. "I wouldn't jump to conclusions, kid. Better tell him the whole story first."

Yuffie nodded wildly, and gestured for Vincent to come closer. "I'll answer your question too, Vince. Two cranes with one shuriken!" she cheered, pumping an arm in the air. "So you remember how I asked you all for your materia before we split?" As she spoke, she reached for her backpack and began to rummage through it. "Well, it was all about that vow I made to Godo and Wutai, you see. I decided I was gonna bring Wutai the best gift ever—ah ha!" A huge smile split her face as she pulled out a few bags triumphantly and leapt out off of the couch. "Nanaki, let's open the safe. I finished one!"

"Damn! Congratulations, Yuffie!" said Cid as he walked over and clapped her on the back. Nanaki growled in agreement, gesturing for the others to follow him with a flick of his flaming tail. Curious, Vincent followed as they trailed into the small back room of the observatory and stood before a squat iron safe. Leaning down, Yuffie quickly opened it with a few deft twists of her wrist, and carefully brought out some large black boxes. They gathered around the table in the room, where Yuffie laid the boxes neatly next to each other in a row. There were 10 in total, and labels printed in Yuffie's neat Wutaian script identified each one of them. Carefully, Yuffie began to explain their contents as she pointed them out.

"My vow to Wutai has to be filled before I turn 25. I figured this would give me just enough time to complete my quest, which is why I've been working at mastering the materia we gathered for the past five years now." She carefully opened one of the boxes, which not surprisingly, were velvet-lined containers, each holding row upon row of materia. Some of the slots in the box were still empty, but a good portion of it was filled with the shining multicoloured orbs of crystallized mako. "I've been travelling to the northern crater repeatedly to master all of this stuff you guys gave me, and create the ultimate gift for Wutai…"

"Master Materia," Vincent breathed in surprise, as the others remained in silent awe at the wealth displayed on the table. "You want to bring them the three Master Materia."

Yuffie's laughter caught him by surprise. "If only it were that easy, Vince! Naw, it's more than that. I'm not only bringing them Master Materia, I'm also bringing them a full set of newborn materia. You know, so we can give birth to more if they're ever needed." Pride filled Yuffie's eyes as she regarded the rows of shining orbs on the table.

Vincent narrowed his eyes and studied the orbs in the box once more. Admittedly, none of them were as skilled at cataloguing and mixing materia as Yuffie, for whom it was an obsession. But even he could tell with closer inspection that there were miniscule differences between the many orbs contained in the box. There, laying next to each other in the box, were two fire materia. One was pulsing slightly and larger than the other… a mastered materia, and a newborn materia. It was interesting to see the dichotomy of the two in their different states of growth as they lay side by side; there had never been time for an in-depth study of the crystals they used in their battle against Sephiroth. A thought struck him as he eyed the rows upon rows of materia in the single box. "But if you only need to bring back Master Materia for Wutai, what are the other nine boxes for?"

Nanaki cleared his throat, looking slightly embarrassed. "Well… that's partly my fault. After Yuffie started her quest, I realized the value in the continued study of materia development by watching her own collection grow." He paced around the table and leapt up, leaning his front paws against its edge so he could have a better view of the boxes. "Cosmo Canyon has always preserved the knowledge of the planet, and frankly, no one in the history of the world has ever managed to collect the variety of materia that we did in our travels together."

Yuffie nodded wildly and opened another box, also full of shining materia, although it was slightly less filled than the first one. "Yeah, this one I call the Cosmo Collection." She smiled and ribbed Nanaki amusedly, causing him to fall off the table. "Sometimes this slacker helps me out and comes along to the northern crater to train his own pieces, but generally, I just let him have my extras."

"Well, I have to charge you something for the two weeks you spend here, Yuffie," Nanaki growled back jokingly. "You eat enough for a whole company of soldiers, after all." Yuffie snickered and blew a raspberry at the giant cat, who turned insolently and flicked her legs with his tail, causing her to screech and jump in the air while yelling about burns.

Watching the two playfully tease one another, Vincent suddenly realized that they were much closer friends than he remembered. In fact, even Cid seemed to enjoy being around Yuffie more than before.  _ How much has changed in five short years? _ he wondered to himself absently. There was a time when he was sure that at least Cid saw Yuffie as nothing more than an irksome brat. Indeed, that was what Vincent remembered her to be himself. But as he studied the materia, he realized that no brat could have done the sheer amount of work represented by the boxes on the table before him. It made a twist of resentment flare up briefly within him.  _ Even Yuffie has managed to grow these past few years. It ís only I who have stood still.  _ His morbid thoughts were halted by Yuffie's voice as she busily continued her explanation of the other boxes on the table.

"… and the rest are just to return the materia I collected from the rest of you. I always keep my promises, after all. See, there's even one here for you, Vincent!" she said, pointing at one of the boxes with neatly printed script on it. "I just wish Tifa hadn't given me so much mastered stuff. It's taking a really long time to refill her box!" she added, flipping open each of the boxes and displaying the various orbs filling them. Pulling out her bags, she began sorting the many loose crystals rolling around inside and quickly inserting them into the empty slots in the different boxes. "I don't see why Reeve never finished mastering his Luck materia," she mumbled in disgust as she put away a small pink orb. "Oh, and Cid, I finally got your Gil Plus back. I hope you don't mind, but I threw in an Experience Plus, too. I thought your flight school students could use the extra help," she smirked, pushing another two pink orbs into a separate box and sliding it across the table at the pilot. "Here, you can take the whole box, it's done now."

Cid rubbed the back of his head and mumbled a little. "#§$, Yuffie. You know I told the others about what you were doin'. We don't care about the most of the $&#§$ stuff anymore, it's easy enough to get it ourselves…"

Yuffie cut him off curtly with a wave of her hand. "I promised, all right? I don't go back on my promises. Besides, after what I did, I'd never be able to live it down if I didn't at least return the stuff you gave me." She continued to place orbs in the remaining boxes, a more serious look etched across her face. "I never said I was sorry for what happened in Wutai, that first time. Y-you all could have died. I almost helped destroy the planet." She fell silent, fiddling with one of the orbs in shame.

Cid looked sheepish and muttered under his breath. "We all know how you feel, kid. Don't worry about it anymore." Fumbling inside of his jacket, he finally pulled out a small, carefully wrapped package and threw it on the table before Yuffie. "Here," he said gruffly as he recrossed his arms. "A little somethin' the rest of us threw together for ya, kid. Don't let it get to your head, we still think you're a spoiled lil' brat."

Squealing with delight, Yuffie dove for the bag and tore it open. "Presents, presents!" she sang, stopping suddenly as she eyed the contents inside. "More mastered materia?" she asked wonderingly. Pausing, she quickly emptied the contents of the bag, her eyes widening as each orb rolled out. "Contain… Full Cure… Barrier… Ultima?! And what the—" her eyes grew bigger as she drew the shining metal bracelet out of the bag. "Cid! Is this what I think it is?" she asked in an awed whisper, turning it over and over carefully.

The blond pilot grinned, his eyes wrinkling with mirth as he watched Yuffie goggle over the items. "Cloud thought he was a little harsh on you that night at the candle. Said if you'd told him earlier what you were planin', he woulda helped. §$#, Yuffie, we all woulda helped if you'd just said something."

Yuffie ignored him, her eyes still glued to the bracelet like it was water to a man in the desert. "B-but this is the Mystile! You can dodge Ultimas with this thing, Cid! There's only two of these in the entire world, and Nanaki got one and Cloud the other! I can't take this!" she gasped, handling it as though it would break if she dropped it.

"It's a fair decision," Nanaki cut in. "You've practically been living in the northern crater for two years now, Yuffie, I really think you could use the protection. We all do."

Yuffie sniffed as her eyes grew suspiciously bright. Then with a sob, she leaned down and hugged Nanaki. "Thank you! Thank you so much!" she cried. Leaping up, she barreled into Cid and squeezed him tightly as well, causing him to blush and mutter embarrassedly while patting her on the back. "I really appreciate it. This'll cut months off my quest!" she said, releasing Cid, and finally moving over to Vincent, who stiffened as she approached him.

"Yuffie," he said suddenly as he realized her intent. "I really had no part in this effort. You don't have to thank me."

Yuffie eyed the dark gunman momentarily, and then laughed, latching onto him. "Oh, just shut up, Vince, shut up! You need to learn when to keep your big mouth shut!" she yelled as she enveloped him in a bone crushing hug. The others snickered quietly at Yuffie's highly inaccurate assessment of their tall companion, making him look even more uncomfortable. Finally she released him and skipped back to the table, happily putting away the rest of the materia.

"And don't think I don't have presents for you too, guys! You know I always clone too much of my protective materia up there." Reaching into the now-almost-empty bag, she withdrew a red and blue globe and showed them to Nanaki. "Phoenix and Final Attack, Red! Newborn, but I figured you'd wanna put them in the Cosmo Collection anyway." Her face scrunched up momentarily, and then she pulled two more materia from the shrinking bag. "And since you finally showed up on the face of the earth again, Vince, here you go." With that, she tossed the two small orbs at him, which he grabbed out of the air reflexively.

"Odin… and Added Effect," he said quietly, studying the materia. A deadly combination, one that could spell instant death for opponents when used properly.  _ And your curse follows me even now, Lucretia, through my companions? _ he thought to himself, his hand straying to the Death Penalty. But his face remained impassive, and he kept his thoughts to himself. "Thank you, Yuffie."

"Oh, and have some ribbons," she added, throwing a few colourful scraps of material on the table as she packed the boxes away in the safe. This time everyone stared at the remaining items on the table. "Where'd you find these, Yuffie? Ribbons are almost as rare as that Mystile," Nanaki said quietly.

"Not really! A girl's gotta have her secrets," she joked with a grin, her eyes twinkling. "Now, I'm pooped, and I still smell like dead Marlboro guts. I want a bath before I finish this story!" she yelled, picking at her ragged clothes.

Cid shook his head, snickering. "We're used to seeing you look like that, brat. Why get concerned all of a sudden? Tryin' to impress Valentine with somethin' besides your smell?" Yuffie scowled and pulled off a sock, hurling it at Cid's head, who swore and dodged. "$#§, Yuffie, that thing could count as a toxic weapon!" Laughing, he headed towards the door. "I know where I'm not wanted. I need to make the rounds, gonna come back in two weeks." He paused at the door, holding it open as he glared back into the room. "And don't think we're done talkin' about your $&'$§ eyes, girl!" he yelled at Yuffie. "Oh, good seein' you again, Valentine. Hope you'll stick around 'till I get back," he added. And then with a final curse and a slam of the door, Cid was gone.


	3. Purge

After Cid left, Yuffie demanded to be led to the Canyon's bathing springs, claiming that she would turn into a monster herself if she didn't manage to wipe the grime off. The northern crater didn't generally provide for the luxury of bathing facilities, unless one was inclined to take a dip in the pure energy of the lifestream. And after three months of living in the wilderness and battling constantly, the others could only agree with her assessment.

That was how Vincent found himself trailing after Yuffie and Nanaki as they chatted animatedly about the local residents, the old group, and Yuffie's latest materia finds while climbing down the winding stairs of the canyon. Yuffie was doing most of the speaking, busily relating the gossip Cid had brought her as they had flown out of the crater. The two were so caught up in their chatter, it was almost as though they had forgotten his presence.

"I can't believe how slow they're going. I mean, come on! Tifa must have the patience of a saint!" Yuffie exclaimed, rolling her eyes as she skipped down the steps. Nanaki chuckled at Yuffie's obvious contempt, causing her to huff. "I mean it! If I were Tifa, I'd be all over Cloud like butter on bread! How can she stand it? He's gorgeous! And he obviously likes her, too," she complained.

Nanaki shook his head, his single golden eye glowing faintly as they reentered another cave. "I see you're still not quite over your obsession with Cloud, Yuffie. Don't you think it's a lost cause by now?"

Yuffie laughed, her own eyes giving off their own faint glow in the darkness. "Oh come on, Red! I wouldn't do that to Tifa, and it's not like I'd ever have a chance with Cloud anyway. I have the luck of an icicle in the fires of the Da Chao when it comes to romance!" she lamented dramatically.

The low grunt of the giant lion filled the darkness as they descended even deeper into the canyon. "That's only too true, Yuffie. You always did pick strange sorts to develop crushes on," he purred.

Yuffie winced, her face scrunching up in the darkness. "Hey, I can't help it if I like tall, blond, blue-eyed, muscular men. Now, if Cid was only 15 years younger and unmarried, maybe he could give Cloud some competition," she mused. "Who ever knew that the old fart had such a great sense of humour? Shera's really lucky," she sighed. "How many kids do they have now?"

"Two, Yuffie, and I'm holding you to that bet. He's 37 now and they still only have two children." The glowing end of Nanaki's tale flickered slightly in the darkness. "Cosmo Canyon will appreciate all that effort you're going to put into writing down your collected 'Materia Study' essays." A low rumbling followed afterwards, something that Vincent could only assume was the sound of Nanaki's laughter.

A snort was heard as they emerged once more into light. "C'mon, Nanaki, at least let me have until he reaches 40. I've only got four more years until I have to go back to Wutai, and there's still a ton of materia to master!" She shook her head wildly. "I don't have time to write!"

"Two weeks is plenty of time to start, Yuffie." The many fangs Nanaki showed her with his toothy grin was merciless, eliciting a loud groan from the young ninja.

"Ugh, I knew I should have sent Shera some of those Wutai fertility herbs. I mean, they look like tea!" she giggled. Sighing, she kicked at a pebble on the steps before her, sending it sailing into one of the rock walls. "Cid and Shera are family to me now, Nanaki. I'd almost consider him like a dad." She grinned, abbreviating her observation. "A really foul-mouthed dad, maybe. Still a better one than Godo, though. Hey, you think I can get little Jesse to call me 'Aunt Yuffie'?"

Nanaki did his best impression of a shrug with his low shoulders. "Probably not. You would have more success asking her to call you '§#?$!$# aunt Yuffie'," he growled, sending the girl into peals of laughter.

"You swore, you swore! Nanaki, you bad kitty, I'm going to tell Bugenhagen all about it!" she yelled, dancing ahead on the steps and racing into the open cavern before them. And an impressive cavern it was, with stalactites and stalagmites forming a natural border to a small, rocky pond obviously fed by an underground spring. Steam rose into the air around them, and torches set into the wall reflected strange patterns off of the shining water and rock. Yuffie had already stripped off her shoes and armour, and was making her way towards the small body of water carefully. Nanaki and Vincent paused at the entrance of the cavern, each watching her.

"Yuffie, I forgot to bring the towels. I'll get you some right away," Nanaki called after her.

Yuffie only waved back impatiently, already sticking her toes in the hot water cautiously. "Be sure to bring back a pair of scissors, too, Red. I want Vincent to cut my hair when I'm done," she yelled.

Said individual balked at her sudden demand. "Thank you showing me Cosmo Canyon's renowned hot spring, but it would be inappropriate for me to—" he began, but Yuffie just gave him an angry groan. Vincent looked to Nanaki for help, but the giant cat was already making his way back up the long path of steps.

"Oh, get over it, Mr. Clean and Proper!" Yuffie called, bringing his attention back to the springs. To his surprise, he saw that she was climbing into the water fully clothed. "Living in the northern crater surrounded by nothing but beasties for months at a time doesn't leave room for modesty," she said irritably, before submerging herself completely in the pond. Vincent could only agree with her assessment as he watched a plume of dirt rise up in the water around her when she resurfaced. Pushing her stiff hair out of her face in annoyance, she continued her tirade while pointing at a set of smooth rocks off to the side of the small pond. "Why do you think Nanaki took me all the way down here? It takes days for the spring to recover after I've bathed in it. That's why I don't bother using the main pools further up," she added, working busily at the hardened mass that was her wet hair. The dried dirt and ichor trapped within it had softened in the warm water, forming an ugly, gooey mass around her face and neck. "Just… sit there, and turn around when I'm done with my hair," she grumbled in frustration. "Damn stuff is too long, it has to go. I don't know how Tifa managed to keep hers looking so pretty during that entire ordeal…" she muttered under her breath before sinking once more into the water.

Sensing that the argument was lost, Vincent seated herself on the stones Yuffie had pointed out and watched her struggle with her hair for a while. "Yuffie," he began when she had finally managed to restore the chocolate locks to a semblance of normality, "I'm still not quite sure I understand everything you've told me so far."

Yuffie made a small noise and motioned for him to face in the opposite direction. Vincent turned obligingly as he heard her struggle with her sopping clothes. "Forgot this shirt was green…" he heard her mutter. "Yeah, Vince, so whatcha wanna know?" she called out after a moment.

"It's been five years since we parted. But Nanaki stated you've only spent two years living in the crater. Your current level of mako exposure seems to confirm that." He paused for a moment, waiting to see if she would comment. All he heard was another string of curses that would have made Cid proud if he had been there.

"… shorts have got to be the stupidest idea I had since trying to make Nanaki wear those stockings…" she muttered as the sound of another article of clothing hitting the rocks was heard. "Oh, sorry Vincent. You were asking what I've been doing, right? Okay, the short version," she said, pushing back into the water with a sigh. "I knew what I wanted to do with that materia from the start, so I asked Nanaki if I could leave some of my supplies here while Cid ferried me back up to the northern crater. Neither of them were very happy about the idea at first, but after a couple of weeks we worked something out."

She paused, and Vincent heard the sound of splashing water and a few more hisses and curses before she continued. "Nanaki would come with me, and Cid would pick us up after three months. It was hard, being back up there, but the two of us managed to survive. Cid arrived on schedule, and we came back to Cosmo, and I told them I wanted to rest up for a couple of weeks before I left again. Nanaki didn't want to go back the second time, see, he hadn't got that idea for the Cosmo Collection yet," she explained as more splashes were heard. "The second visit didn't go so well, though. I kinda got hurt by one of the monsters there and Nanaki wasn't around to help me out. Cid figured something was up when I didn't make it back to our meeting spot on time, so he came and rescued my sorry butt and dragged me back to Cosmo," she said. "Was a really nasty wound, too, took me about six months to recover from it, and there you have the first year."

Vincent wondered silently as she continued to chatter away; Yuffie was talking about her near death experience as carelessly and animatedly as she had been complaining about her love life to Nanaki, like it was a matter of no importance.

"So anyway, after that little stunt I figured I needed some training before I could get back to the crater. Cid and Nanaki wouldn't have let me go anyway, so I got them to take me to Junon instead. Met up with Reeve there, he's doing really great by the way, you should see him now. He has this cute little goatee, and when he gets mad, he really does look like Cait Sith!" she giggled. "Anyway, I convinced him to let me use the submarine, and after that I started training in the Gelinka," she continued.

"Gelinka… Shinra's sunken cargo plane?" Vincent asked, turning his head slightly in surprise. "It's still there?"

"Oh yeah, you know Shinra built their war machines to last. Well, against everything but the Weapons, heh. Nanaki would come down there with me sometimes, and Cid always had to drive the submarine. Gawd, it's worse than the airship, you know? They'd have to strap me down with a few tranquillizers so I wouldn't yak all over the place!" Yuffie's loud laugh filled the cavern as she slapped at the water. "Spent almost a year being ferried to and from that hellhole, sometimes it made the crater seem like paradise. It worked, though, I managed to get stronger and better at battling." A note of pride touched her voice as she spoke. "I might still look skinny, but I bet I could lift Cloud's sword and swing it around a few times now," she laughed. "After that, going back to the crater was easier. It's been the same way for the past two years now, three months in the crater, two weeks back at the Canyon. Gonna keep doing it until I've finished my quest," she said. "But it gets easier each trip, you know? Maybe it's all that 'mako poisoning' you guys keep going on about," she added lightly.

Yuffie's carefree recounting of her life were at strange and uncomfortable odds with the harsh realities of her story. Each of them had found their own ways to deal with difficult situations through the years, but Yuffie's extreme frenetic attitude was worrying. It was obvious that there was more to the young woman than her jubilant attitude would leave others to believe, but she displayed her cheerful wall of armour to the rest of the world as insolently as Vincent might point his gun at his foes. _You better just accept it, or get out of my way_ , her attitude screamed.

"Gaining power through violence isn't the answer to your problems, Yuffie," Vincent reprimanded her quietly. _Believe me, I know this from experience, years of knowledge I wish I had never gained, learned through pain and suffering. You're choosing a dangerous path,_ he thought. But the words wouldn't come to his lips easily, while Yuffie was always quick to respond to an attack.

"Funny to hear that lecture coming from you, Valentine. Listen, I don't tell you how to live your life, so don't tell me how to live mine," she said hotly. "You wanted to leave us and do your own thing for five years? Fine by me! You won't hear me complaining about how rude that was. I bet Nanaki already gave you a good talking to, though, and you can thank your sorry ass Cloud wasn't here to do it instead. I won't ever give you any of that $"#, so the least you can do is keep your own damn opinions to yourself!"

Vincent flinched as her words rained over him like bullets. She was right; he hated being lectured to, and while he was enjoying the brief reunion with his old companions in the Canyon, the last person he wanted to see at the moment was Cloud. There was still so much he needed to sort out and come to terms with, and being confronted with moralizing friends didn't help. The next words were difficult to form. "I apologize, Yuffie. My comment was … inappropriate," he said morosely.

Yuffie sighed loudly, her tone returning to reasonable levels, at least for herself. "Like I said, get over yourself. It'll take more than a few words from you to crush my 'delicate female ego,'" she replied. Vincent could almost hear her smile as she spoke; she was still the ever-temperamental Yuffie he remembered, quick to anger, and even quicker to forget.

"Where is Nanaki, anyway? If I don't get some soap soon, I think I'm gonna scream!" she yelled impatiently.

The large cat chose that moment to make his reappearance, a bag hanging loosely from his jaws as he padded down the steps and into the cavern. Dropping his parcel by the edge of the pond, he turned back and seated himself next to Vincent. "I'm sorry for the delay, but it took a little time to explain why I needed a pair of shears to Elder Bugah," he grumbled irritably.

"Soap! Lavender, too! Nanaki, I swear, you're my hero!" Yuffie cooed with delight as the splashing in the water resumed.

"Fickle human," he rumbled in amusement. "I take it you both have had plenty of time to discuss your issues," Nanaki said he settled himself more comfortably on the rocks. "Which leaves me with the opportunity to ask my own. Why do you want to go back to the crater with me this time, Yuffie? The planet is still restless and angry there. It makes me uncomfortable." His tail twitched reflexively as he eyed the ninja in the water.

"That's right! With all the excitement Vince stirred up, I almost forgot to tell you my big-big news!" Yuffie paused in her ministrations long enough to look up with shining eyes at Nanaki. "You're gonna love this! I found a wandering tribe in the northern Crater, things that weren't monsters. They were just like you, Nanaki! A tribe of giant, intelligent flaming cats!"

Vincent noticed how Nanaki suddenly stilled, his muscles growing tense as he lay motionless on the rocks. Yuffie continued on obliviously as she finished cleaning herself off in the water.

"They just moved up there recently, and they've been searching for a home for almost 50 years now. They seemed really interested when I told them about you and Cosmo Canyon, I think they wanted to meet you. Think about it, your love life might actually get better than mine after this!"

Nanaki's voice came out as a low growl. "Yuffie. What did they call themselves?"

"The Gi Tribe! Isn't it fantastic? So, are you gonna come with me this time or what?"

The great lion closed his eye, as memories of his childhood washed over him. _The cursed Gi Tribe. The ones who robbed me of my parents, and my clan. They live still!_ His anger burned through him slowly, causing his tail to flare up and his fangs to bare as he desperately repeated the calming mantras Bugenhagen had taught to him as a child. The physical heat and fury radiating from his body was apparent to the two humans, however, both who had frozen in their actions. At least, Yuffie had frozen. Vincent had long ago mastered the technique of remaining completely motionless when resting.

"Nanaki? Did I say something wrong?" Yuffie began hesitantly.

The low growl that escaped from the cat's lips filled the cavern with its menace. "No, Yuffie. You couldn't have known, it is something only Bugenhagen and Cloud would understand."

A sigh escaped from Yuffie's lips. "I don't get it, Nanaki. Aren't you happy? I mean, I just told you that you're not the last of your kind. There's more! There's a chance for you to have a family, and a tribe again! Don't you want to see that happen?" she questioned in a small, hurt voice.

Nanaki's fur stood on end as he rose suddenly, his one eye glowing fiercely. "The Gi Tribe gave me my scar, Yuffie. The Gi Tribe killed my parents." Stiffly, he rose and left, leaving the two humans alone with the sound of dripping water in the cavern.

"Gawd! I'm such an IDIOT!" Yuffie's shrill cry finally broke the tense silence that followed Nanaki's departure. She climbed out of the water, sniffling slightly as she donned the thick robe the large cat had brought down for her. Plopping onto the rock by Vincent's side miserably, she leaned forward and buried her face in her hands. "That was so stupid! Ugh, he's gonna be so pissed at me for DAYS!" she moaned.

Vincent sighed, feeling distinctly uncomfortable. Things had been going so well, and suddenly, here he was, caught between an angry feline and an emotional young girl. He had never been good at comforting anyone, and he wasn't feeling particularly inclined to start. After a very brief consideration of a struggle for fitting words, he gave up, and slowly stood. "It was an honest mistake, Yuffie. It will pass." Blunt, but accurate. Feeling his duty was done, Vincent turned to leave.

"HOLD IT!" came the angry cry from behind him. Sighing, Vincent closed his eyes and readied himself for Yuffie's next unpredictable onslaught.

"Your social skills could use some work, Vince," Yuffie growled at him, wiping the moisture away from her eyes. "That's okay, I forgive you. I bet you're kinda out of practice anyway," she grumbled. "Thanks for trying to make me feel better, even if you do suck at it." She reached for the bag Nanaki had brought down and withdrew the pair of scissors. "But you can't leave yet. I still need you to cut my hair!" she demanded, holding the scissors towards him, pointy-side outward.

Vincent managed to look as impassive as ever, though inwardly he was shaking his head. The girl was certifiably insane. Carefully, he grasped the scissors from her hand and turned them around to a safer position. He looked from the shining pair of shears to her unruly wet hair uncertainly. "One of the village women would certainly be a better choice than myself…" he began.

Yuffie rolled her eyes and spun around on the rocks, her back to Vincent. She smoothed her hair out as best she could as she spoke. "No WAY, Vince! I tried that before. All the women here are really dorky, they keep going on about how I should dress nicer and grow my hair out so I'll look more ladylike. Gawd! It's almost like being back in Wutai again!" she complained. Sensing that Vincent hadn't moved, she turned slightly and glared at him. "Well, come on, it's not like my hair's gonna bite you. At least, I think I washed out anything that might have done that," she grinned.

Vincent moved forward uncertainly, his good hand gripping the scissors clumsily, as one might wield a weapon. Yuffie eyed his approach skeptically, and gave a massive sigh.

"Geez, you're so uptight! Just relax! Trust me, you're not gonna ruin my hair. I don't care how it looks, just make it short-short-SHORT!" Seeing that his posture hadn't changed, she groaned loudly. "But you might ACCIDENTALLY decapitate me if you don't loosen up," she added wryly.

"Are you sure?" he asked her one final time, as he readied the scissors. Yuffie just turned and straightened her back, holding perfectly still. With a sigh, he reached forward and grabbed one of the dark, damp locks in his golden claw. Even though it was still wet, it was clear to see that Yuffie's hair was luxuriously thick. Wutanese hair, always growing straight and dark. The thickness was unusual, however; with her lifestyle it was no wonder she wanted it gone. But it was a shame, he reflected absently as he began to snip away. Had Yuffie been the type to let her hair grow fashionably long, he was sure it would be a beautiful sight.

Yuffie sighed as pieces of her hair fell around her. Unbeknownst to Vincent, she was thinking very similar thoughts at that moment. _I have my mom's hair,_ she remembered. She thought about it; the past, being a young girl, barely tall enough to reach the handles on the shoji screens. Her mother would let her watch as she brushed out her long, beautiful hair, falling to the ground in a shining sheath like a chocolate waterfall. It always looked so soft and pretty, and the young girl had often been scolded by the handmaids for ruining her mother's hard work by grabbing the shining mass in her grubby hands and toying with it. Mother would laugh then, and say it was all right, before scooping Yuffie up into her arms. _"One day you will have my hair too, Yuffie, and then you can do whatever you like with it."_

She watched another chunk of brown fall to the side of her feet, landing in a messy clump, and remembered that beautiful hair, wet and matted, plastered to her mother's face by all the blood. She had cried, then, cried and cried, because she didn't understand, but somehow she knew that she'd never run her fingers through those beautiful chocolate strands again. Years later, Godo had commented on her hair. _"You really should let it grow out, Yuffie. It's fitting to a daughter of Wutai. You'd look just like your mother."_ She had yelled at Godo, and then to his great shame and disappointment, cut it off and dyed the remainder with streaks of messy, artificial blond the very next day.

Another tendril of hair fell by her feet, and Yuffie realized that Vincent was making an attempt to be careful. Her lip curled, and she spoke harshly. "Do it faster, Vincent. I don't care what it looks like, just get rid of it." She felt him pause, an unspoken query in the air, but she said nothing further, and thankfully, he didn't ask any questions.

… … …

Nanaki loped up the steps, a growl resounding through the hallways as he passed. Beyond the sealed door and into the dripping cavern he raced, the residents of the Canyon wisely avoiding him as they saw him pound through. He burst into the dank underground maze of tunnels, his feet having memorized the path long ago. As expected, the ghosts came out to greet him.

Howling, the skeletal lions rose, slashing at him with their misty teeth and claws. Nanaki snarled, clawing and biting, causing the ghostly apparitions to fly apart into harmless swirls of mist. They would only come back again later, of course, their vengeful spirits doomed to wander in the canyon's maze for all eternity. "You never die!" he roared in frustration as the ghostly figures faded away.

At last he reached his goal; the frozen form of Seto, forever trapped in his struggle, the stone arrows rising from his hide like quills from a porcupine. Nanaki whimpered, butting his head under the stony chin in a futile search for comfort. "Father," he grumbled, settling on the ground and resting his head on his massive paws. "Why did you and mother have to fight? Why did you have to die?" he asked, a low whine in his throat. He closed his one eye and let the tear that formed fall. Nanaki, Guardian of Cosmo Canyon, never cried. He never showed weakness to his people; he was their protector. But here, alone under the stars with his father, he felt like a young cub all over again, weak and helpless against the cruel machinations of fate.

After some time, Nanaki turned his thoughts to the stories of the Gi tribe that his grandfather had relayed when he was young. "So they live… but to have moved all the way to the northern continent, and into the northern crater now. They are hiding." He wuffled slightly, turning one baleful eye up to the moon. "But from whom? My clan is destroyed, I am the last. Surely they don't fear me…"

He rolled over onto his back, gazing up at the twinkling stars in the sky overhead. "It's an opportunity… my chance for vengeance. I can reclaim the pride of our clan, and fulfill my duty as your son." There was no answer, but the stone form of Seto seemed enveloped in the rising darkness, more distant than ever before. The breeze stirred, carrying with it the soft, sorrowful answer than Nanaki already knew in his heart.

"No. My tribe were protectors of those who appreciate the peace and beauty of this canyon." He sighed, turning back over and regarding the still form of his father. "It would be dishonourable to your sacrifice, and mother's, to throw my life away on such a pointless task." Moonlight broke through the clouds, and Nanaki felt his father's strength and pride flowing through his body as he regarded the regal stone figure. "Yes… it's not my place to search for revenge. My mission is to protect, not to kill."

Immediately Nanaki felt better, having come to at least one decision. But his ears twitched as he considered Yuffie's news. "Father… even if I let the past go, I still don't know what I should do," he grumbled. "The Gi tribe… they still exist, and are searching for something. Are they looking for me? Do they want to finish what they started in Cosmo Canyon?" Again, he already knew the answer as he considered the problem. "No, they would have come here sooner, if they wanted to strike. Perhaps…" Yuffie's eager explanation occurred to him once more.

"… _they've been searching for a home for almost 50 years now…"_

"Perhaps they also are looking only for peace, and a place to belong." Sadness welled up in his breast as he looked to the silent statue. "I don't know if I'd be strong enough to forgive them, father. Maybe they just want to be left alone," he said wistfully. "I don't need to return to the crater with Yuffie. The past should remain in the past."

Bugenhagen's words floated through Nanaki's memory, like a whisper through the evening sky. _"Look at the withering mountain grass. Listen to the warble of the newborn chocobos. Look always to the eternal flow of time which is far greater than the span of a human life. It will teach you more than staying here in the valley… for what you see will eventually become a part of life's dream."_

"Grandfather…" he sighed into the night air. "Mother, father… they died, fighting to protect you and the others in the canyon. I can't ignore that. I want to stay here. I want to be with you and the others."

" _It's a wide world, and you must go out and see it. You may even find your life's mate. You never know."_

The pang of loneliness struck Nanaki once again. He appreciated his friends, and in his own way, he dearly loved Yuffie and the others as much as he loved Bugenhagen. But the love of his adopted family couldn't ease the gaping emptiness of knowing that he would always be alone, the last of his kind.

_Not the last. The Gi tribe lives._

Hope and resentment warred in his breast, each fighting for domination. "Father, what should I do?"

Seto looked down on his son with his unblinking gaze, and the wind remained still.


	4. Consultation

Some time after Yuffie's ill-fated dip in the springs, things slowly began to return to normal. Nanaki had been noticeably absent from the canyon proper for the last few days, but he had returned on the second evening with only a single gruff message, directed at Yuffie.

"I'll consider it." It was all the giant lion had said before he disappeared once more. From Vincent's point of view, Nanaki was still furious. For Yuffie, however, it was a cause for celebration.

"Do you hear that, Vince? He's over it! We're gonna go back to the crater together!" she cried, jumping up and down as a smile split her face. Leave it to Yuffie to overreact to anything, the gunman thought wryly.

Because their four-legged companion had left the two to their own devices for the past few days, Yuffie had taken it upon herself to be Vincent's "official guide through the Canyon." It was unnecessary, of course, as Vincent could clearly recall the most important features of the village from his previous visits. But his polite refusals couldn't keep Yuffie at bay. "You're such a recluse, you big dork. If I didn't show you around, you'd probably spend the entire day in your room staring at the ceiling," she had said. It wasn't a particularly accurate assessment, but it was true that Vincent would have preferred to remain alone, leaving the wonders of Cosmo Canyon to its inhabitants, had he been left to his own devices.

In retrospect, it was turning into a pleasant decision to have Yuffie show him around. Cosmo Village was actually quite a small settlement in the valley, but Cosmo Canyon was, in truth, a vast site that spanned well beyond the village limits. There were thick forests, materia caves, and hidden rivers that Vincent hadn't even suspected could exist within the Canyon's heights and depths. Some of them, Yuffie explained through their various visits, had been shown to her by Nanaki. But a few of the sites, particularly the ones with natural materia formations, had been discovered by the ninja herself during her time living there.

Sometimes at night, Vincent would leave on his own to return to the wild caverns, seeking their solace in the moonlight. The twinkling materia walls reminded him of the waterfall cavern's crystals, sending him into contemplation over the past and his dead lover. But it was never quite the same; there were no hard, symmetrical lines in the natural formations that sprung up around the canyon, and there was nothing cold and impersonal about the crystals embedded in the rocky walls. The caves were wild and unruly, filled with natural energy, and the materia within them was alive, singing with the inhuman voice of the planet in the moonlight. They were places of peace and tranquillity, and whenever Vincent felt his psyche slipping into dangerous levels of depression and anger, the materia would gently call him back and remind him of the surrounding life.

Yuffie's behaviour around him was also a surprise, although he hadn't yet decided if it was a pleasant one or not; he had been dreading the prospect of having to spend so much time with the hyperactive ninja. Gradually he began to realize that she was only lonely. She had admitted as much herself during their last trip into the canyon's depths, while babbling aimlessly about whatever crossed her mind.

\- _the previous day_ -

"… and it was, like, so totally uncool! I mean, who in their right mind would've worn a hairpin that looked like that anyway?" Yuffie yelled, waving her arms in the air for emphasis. Vincent said nothing, his eyes narrowing only slightly as he trudged stoically behind the young woman. There was a moment of silence, and then, "You don't talk much, do you, Vincent?"

He said nothing, keeping his eyes trained on the ground by Yuffie's heels.

"I mean, I know I talk a lot. Probably too much. Hehe, at least, that's what Nanaki always says when I come back." The sound of crunching pebbles underfoot filled the silence before Yuffie started again. "You shouldn't talk unless you have something to say, Yuffie," she mimicked, dropping her voice a few octaves lower. "That's what he usually tells me after I've been going on for too long. But not you. No, Vincent Valentine just takes it like a man, right?"

His eyebrow had quirked slightly at this, but still he said nothing.

"I guess it's annoying. But think of it this way. I just want to have someone to talk to. You don't have to say anything back. So as long as you don't mind listening, it's a win-win deal here, right? If you're not listening, though, you better not tell me, or I'll have to show you my secret flying pinwheel kick," she giggled. "It's not like I care, really, it's just nice to have someone intelligent around," she added. "You don't know how insane it gets up there in the crater sometimes. Did you know some of those things can speak? Well, not really the way we do, but they can communicate with you, somehow…" Her voice had trailed off then, and her footsteps slowed. Vincent looked up sharply, regarding Yuffie carefully for the first time.

Her hand was stretched out, touching the canyon wall, and her feet were still moving as surely as a goat's across the rocky path, but her gaze was fixed over the open canyon beside them, and her eyes were unfocused. Yuffie's skin was unnaturally pale; the sun didn't usually touch the northern continent, and the grime covering her from head to foot when she first arrived had hidden the lightness of her complexion. Her body was lean and wiry, and while at a first glance she looked nothing more than a tomboy, even her jerky, spastic movements relayed the coordination and musculature of a skilled fighter to the trained eye. In a way, her mannerisms were even more deadly because of her unpredictability; if he had still been with the Turks, Vincent might have tried to recruit Yuffie as an assassin. She didn't carry herself the same way she had as a sixteen year old; it made him wonder what exactly she faced in the northern crater to make her develop in such a manner.

"It's not the same with the monsters, Vince. They're smart… smarter than some of us, I think. But they're all messed up in the head," she murmured. "I think holy fixed 'em up good and proper, because they're always so angry with us now, I mean, the rest of the world, y'know? No, I guess you don't…" She shook her head quickly, her eyes refocusing as she came out of her trance. Noticing his scrutiny, she blushed quickly and looked away.

"You can try talking with those freakazoid monster things for three months in a row, but they never really listen," she added quickly. "I mean, you wouldn't have to kill 'em if they listened, right? I always miss that when I come back, having someone there to listen to you blabber without wanting to gut you for it if they don't like what you're saying," she finished. "So you just keep on listening, and you don't have to say anything, Vince, and I won't mind at all. Just don't pull your shotgun on me, all right?" she joked, flashing him a quick smile.

\- _the present_ -

Yuffie must have felt she revealed too much on that day, even for someone as open as herself, because afterwards she had been avoiding him. It was surprising to Vincent, but with both Nanaki and now Yuffie making themselves scarce, he felt as though something was lacking.

 _Could it be that I miss being around them? As friends?_ It was a disturbing question. Vincent prided himself on his independence, but now that he was receiving it he found its presence unwanted. He spent longer than usual in the materia caves that night, searching for comfort in the planet's crystalline voices. They soothed him as usual, but it didn't give him the same satisfaction as Yuffie's high pitched whine or Nanaki's low growl might have. So it wasn't an unwelcome sight when he returned to the observatory the next day only to stumble across Yuffie and Nanaki, sitting together at the table and joking as if nothing had occurred between them.

Yuffie grinned merrily as the dark gunman entered, waving happily at him. "Hey, welcome back, Vincent, we were just talking about you!" Nanaki rolled his one eye at Yuffie. "No, we weren't," he rumbled in irritation. "Why do you always have to do that anyway?" he asked as she fell into a cute pout. "Spoilsport! I just don't want Vince to feel left out!" she grumbled. Leaning over, she stretched out a foot and smoothly kicked out a chair, which slid towards Vincent. "Have a seat!" she yelled at him.

Vincent gracefully seated himself at the table, pulling down the edge of his cloak slightly. "So you two have made up?" he asked tonelessly, one fine eyebrow lifted.

Nanaki bobbed his head regretfully towards Vincent. "Yes… I should apologize for my behaviour, it was immature. And you had to suffer constantly under Yuffie's tender affections for the past few days. Unpardonable rudeness for a host to show his guest," he said, tail flicking slightly.

"HEY!" came Yuffie's cry of indignation. "Vincent and I have been having a fine time together without you, you meanie cat! I'm a good hostess, aren't I?" she asked plaintively, widening her eyes and making her best "cute" face at the gunman.

Vincent, as usual, refrained from answering the question, but surprised both of his companions by nodding his head slightly at the ninja. It was rewarding to see the look on Yuffie's face afterwards; she could trade insults with style, but accepting compliments was considerably more difficult. She fidgeted uncomfortably for a moment, and then reached for her mug of tea, burying her face in it to hide the red tinge on her cheeks.

Nanaki looked mildly amused, and trained his good eye on Vincent. "I should have asked you to visit sooner, Vincent, I didn't realize how skilled you were at silencing her." This caused Yuffie to slam her mug down on the table loudly as she glared at the lion. Nanaki cleared his throat, pointedly ignoring the fuming girl, and addressed Vincent. "There is something you should know," he said seriously. "I've decided to accompany Yuffie to the northern crater this time. If she really has found the last of my kind, it's my duty to seek them out. Even if they are the remains of the Gi tribe," he growled lowly.

Yuffie's glaring match with Nanaki's head was forgotten as she cheered and waved a hand in the air. "See, didn't I say so? I'm gonna have company when I go back this time! Cid's gonna §#!) a brick when we tell him, though." She scowled with annoyance as she said this. "How should we deal with him?"

Vincent looked between the two and frowned. "Are you sure this is a wise decision? Yuffie, we've seen the rate at which your body is absorbing mako energy from the crater. I thought it had been made clear that it would be too dangerous for you to return."

Nanaki interjected with a shake of his massive head. "That's true, but even if Cid didn't agree to take her, we couldn't stop her from going by chocobo. It would simply be easier for me to accompany her and ensure her safety, and also help speed up the process of mastering the remaining materia." His ears lowered slightly. "Besides which, only Yuffie knows where I can find the Gi, and she's vowed not to tell me unless she's in the northern crater herself."

"Blackmail," Vincent said simply, training his even stare on Yuffie, who squirmed nervously under his disapproving gaze.

"You make it sound like it's a bad thing!" she said, sulking.

"That's because it is a bad thing," he responded with a slight tone of annoyance. A sudden thought occurred to Vincent as he considered his two friends sitting around the table. It had been a slow process of realization, but they were his friends, and it was easier for him to finally admit that to himself. Friendship did not make one weak. It wasn't rest he had been searching for when he stumbled out of Lucretia's cave. It was companionship. And so, on a whim, he made his decision known to the others. "Very well. When will we be leaving?"

This made Yuffie spit out her tea and Nanaki's tail cease from its incessant swishing as they both eyed him in surprise. "' _We_ ' ?" Yuffie managed to say first.

"We," Vincent told her, the tone of his voice brokering no room for argument. "I will be accompanying you both to the northern crater this time." There was an uncomfortable silence in the room, and a fleeting moment of doubt and regret flashed through the gunman.

"Well all RIGHT!" Yuffie suddenly yelled, leaping up from the table and dancing around wildly as she pumped her arms in the air. "Major score! Vince is coming along too! This is gonna be so COOL!" she laughed, leaping over and catching Vincent in another one of her now-familiar "life-shortening" hugs.

Nanaki dipped his head in agreement, his one eye silently relaying his approval to Vincent before he spoke. "Yes, that is an excellent idea, Vincent. I'm pleased you suggested it," he added, the double meaning behind his praise perfectly clear.

A feeling of relief washed over Vincent, and for a moment, the hint of a smile flickered across his face. He allowed himself to sit back and enjoy Yuffie's antics and Nanaki's deadpan replies for the rest of the morning. Yes, it was going to be a very good day.

… … …

Cid was expected to return to Cosmo Canyon the next day, and Yuffie, Nanaki and Vincent had spent their remaining time preparing for the long journey. Yuffie had specifically requested that both Nanaki and Vincent make time to meet her in the observatory for materia shuffling and something she had referred to as a "full consultation." Vincent was unfamiliar with the term, but from the way Nanaki had eagerly accepted her offer, it was obviously something valuable and sought-after.

He discovered what she meant when he entered the small room, and saw five of the black boxes already neatly laid out on the table and opened, the shining materia within them winking in the afternoon light. Yuffie looked up from her study of the precious orbs and smiled as he entered.

"Hey, glad you're early, Vince, all we have to do is wait for Red now and then we can start." She pushed one of the boxes towards him. "That one's yours, by the way. Remember all that materia you gave me five years ago? Most of it is in there, so you can pick a few pieces out if you like. I wanna see your setup before we leave, though," she said seriously.

Nanaki entered at that moment, a small bag held loosely between his jaws. He dropped it on the table near Yuffie, who ruffled his hair slightly before reaching for its contents. "Great, let's start," she said, placing the Nanaki's bracelet and headdress on the table. Immediately, a frown crossed her face.

"This is isn't the Limited Moon," she said, picking up the headdress and eyeing it disapprovingly. "It's not even one of your better weapons!" she complained, tossing it off the table carelessly. "And what's this? A _wizard bracelet_? Are you suicidal, Red?!" She dug through the bag once more and pulled out a ribbon. "Well, at least you have some sense in that tiny brain of yours," she muttered as she placed the scrap of cloth on the table carefully.

"Yuffie! Be careful with that," Nanaki reprimanded her, looking at his discarded headdress. "I know the Limited Moon is my best weapon, but we need to help you finish your materia collection. I can't do that when I use my best equipment," he growled.

Yuffie crossed her arms and shook her head at Nanaki like a mother scolding a naughty child. "Don't you think I've thought about this before?" She did lean over and pick the small comb off of the floor, however. "We're going to be doing a lot of travelling, and the crater's only gotten worse since the last time you were there. You're gonna need all the help you can get. Now you can save me a whole lotta trouble by just bringing me your Moon and Mystile right now, or I can fight you while you're wearing this crap just to prove how useless it'll be," she warned. Nanaki grumbled, but got up and padded out of the room once more.

Yuffie rolled her eyes and threw her hands up in the air. "I swear, sometimes I don't know what that guy is thinking," she complained to Vincent. "Well, he's the loser then, let's start with you instead." She held out her hand expectantly, waiting for his weapon, bracelet and accessory.

Vincent's hand strayed to the Death Penalty unconsciously; he had never before let anyone handle it and was still reluctant to do so. Yuffie saw his motion and clucked her tongue in annoyance. "Relax, Vince, I'm not going to hurt it, I promise. You can stand right next to me and watch the entire time if you're worried," she said soothingly. He drew the gun out but still hesitated, and Yuffie decided it was time for extreme measures. "Oh Vincent," she said in as serious a voice as she could manage. "Don't you trust me?" Crossing her arms, she turned away quickly to hide the grin that was forcing its way to her face as her plan worked.

Vincent saw Yuffie spin away quickly from him, and her shoulders shook slightly. He sighed deeply; she had sounded hurt with her last question, and guilt overwhelmed him. This was no way to treat friends, and trust had to start somewhere. Carefully he laid his gun and gauntlet on the table side by side. He removed the ring he was wearing and placed it next to them. "Yuffie," he said quietly.

Whirling around, she beamed at Vincent and stuck her tongue out. "Gotcha!" she laughed, slamming her hands on the table around his equipment before he could protest. "Aww, Vincent, I didn't know you were a softie! I'll remember that the next time I want something from you," she teased, winking at him.

Vincent glared at the young ninja in annoyance and folded his arms together. "This had better be an extraordinary consultation," he warned her tersely. His annoyance quickly faded as he watched her hands skillfully remove the material inlaid in the Penalty and quickly sort it into his box. She was silent for a moment, and then she looked up at Vincent with a furious glare. He started, not expecting the sudden swing in her mood or understanding why it was directed at him.

"Listen, Vincent," Yuffie began, her voice utterly serious. "Reading other peoples' materia setups is a lot like reading their diaries," she said. "You can tell a lot about a person by the kind of magic and defense they choose when they fight." She gestured at the items before her. "I don't know what you've been doing for five years, but whatever it was, it's for sure not good for you!"

Vincent looked at his gun in confusion. "I don't understand," he replied.

Yuffie groaned and rolled her eyes. "Gawd, you might be worse than Nanaki!" she yelled. "Take a look at this. You're using your Death Penalty, a Ziedrich, and a Reflection ring." She moved her hand over the ring first. "This," she said, picking it up and fingering it, "is an utter piece of crap. You obviously don't want anyone getting close to you, to the point of throwing back whatever they might have to offer." She held the ring up to the light and turned it around, her lips pursed and her brow wrinkled. "But if you rely only on yourself, you end up closing yourself off from everyone, even your friends. And what's worse, you could end up getting hurt by your own attitude!" She sighed and dropped the ring. "You're probably not into the metaphysical stuff, so I'll be blunt. How do you expect us to be able to heal you if you're wearing that? Reflect rings don't even stop the most powerful monster attack spells, and that's what the beasties in the crater are going to be throwing at us."

Vincent blinked, surprise showing on his face. _All that just from a reflect ring?_ Surprisingly, much of what she said struck a chord within him. Perhaps it was a bad choice of protection, after all. He watched interestedly as she dropped the ring and moved her hand over his gauntlet.

"The Ziedrich," she began softly, running her hand over the hard metal spikes on the intimidating looking gauntlet. "The most powerful armour known to mankind," she whispered, hefting it into the air. "It's a rare sight, I'll give you that, but it's still inherently flawed," she finished, placing it carefully back on the table. "You don't like allowing yourself to get hurt, and this gauntlet is perfect for blocking injuries. But look closer, it has a poor defense against magical attacks. And worse yet, not a single slot for materia." She looked up at Vincent, and for once he was the one who felt uncomfortable under her scrutinizing gaze. "You're trying to build a wall around yourself, to stay independent and not rely on anyone… or anything… else. You've even cut yourself off from the planet," she said, gesturing at the bracelet. "But even though you've physically gotten stronger, you're leaving yourself wide open to injury from other sources." She looked a little sad as she spoke. "Listen, Vincent, I don't really know what happened between you and that Lucretia chick," she said carefully. "But if you don't figure out a way to deal with it soon, your emotions might end up destroying you. You're probably more vulnerable than you think," she added.

Vincent gripped the table tightly as he glared at the traitorous gauntlet on the table. As if it had found a voice to tell Yuffie all of his carefully hidden secrets. How could she know this? It was just a piece of metal! His only comfort was in knowing that he had at least come to the same conclusion on his own, even if it did take an arduous hike through the jungle and the transformation into Chaos. Still, he couldn't help thinking wryly, it would have been easier to simply ask Yuffie for a "consultation" earlier. Something he might have discovered if he had bothered to stay in touch with the others over the years.

Seeing the hints of emotion flickering across his face, Yuffie realized she had touched upon a nerve. Biting her lip nervously, she cautiously tried to sooth Vincent's wounded pride. "Um, but it's still a really good gauntlet, Vince," she said quietly. "I won't force you to change it if you don't want to. It's just a suggestion." Noting his lack of response, she looked back down at the table and placed her hand on the Death Penalty.

"Your gun, Vincent. It's really an incredible weapon. I think I might even feel a pulse…" she said, her eyes widening as she touched the metal. She felt Vincent's piercing gaze and quickly removed her hand. Clearing her throat nervously, she launched into her analysis. "Um, well, there's nothing wrong with the weapon itself, it's a fantastic choice. But your materia chaining is all wrong! Look, you put that Odin and Added Effect materia I gave you into it."

Vincent relaxed, his guard lowering slightly as Yuffie moved back into the safer territory of technical analysis rather than psyche reading. "Isn't that what it's meant for?" he asked her quietly. Yuffie stared back at Vincent, her glowing eyes softening slightly with an emotion he was unfamiliar with seeing… and instantly disliked. It looked suspiciously like pity.

"Vince… this is a protective material chain I gave you. Odin is meant to be your guardian, not your weapon," she said softly. "Is killing really more important to you than saving your own life?" Seeing him tense, she shook her head quickly. "No, sorry, that's not right. Of course you wouldn't know, you've been using that Ziedrich, after all. Just… forget it, okay? Forget I mentioned it," she mumbled, a flush of shame spreading across her face. _Way to go, Yuffie, why don't you call him ugly while you're at it?_ she thought to herself miserably.

To her surprise, Vincent broke the uncomfortable silence that was forming first. "I am the one who should apologize, Yuffie." He leaned back from the table and crossed his arms once more, looking at her. "Your reading was… unusually accurate. I was not expecting it," he said quietly. He gestured at the table. "Please, continue. I would like to know what items you think I should use."

Feeling the intensity of his gaze, Yuffie felt another blush spreading across her face, but she beat it down quickly before she could analyze it. _I like blonds! Blue eyes and big muscles! Stop it, Yuff!_ Licking her lips together nervously, she threw herself into his request. "Well, first off you need a ribbon. It's a good thing I collected so many on the last trip, you can have one of those for free." Turning around, she drew one out of the safe and handed it to Vincent, who carefully wrapped it around his human wrist. "I know it looks weak, but the best offense is always a good defense," she told him. Then she looked at the Death Penalty. "The monsters we're going to be facing off with are pretty strong. If your weapon won't let materia grow, you might as well use the mastered stuff."

Scanning over the boxes on the table, she flipped one open and drew out a few multicoloured orbs. "This is from my personal collection, Vince, so you better not think you can keep 'em forever," she warned. "It took a hell of a long time to get these, too, and not even Nanaki knows about all of them, so don't you say anything. The others would have my butt if they knew I was wasting my time mastering this other stuff!" she whispered conspiratorially as she quickly inserted the materia into a few of the slots. Tapping her lips thoughtfully, she flipped open the Wutai collection and pulled out one of the large green orbs, slipping it into another slot on the gun. "And you better guard this one with your damn LIFE, Valentine," she warned him tersely.

Leaning over the table, he looked at the gun. And barely managed to hold back his surprise. "Yuffie, this isn't just mastered materia. This is Master Materia… and more than one!" he bit out, looking in surprise at the collection of orbs on the gun. "Master Command… Magic… Double Cut… is that a mastered Enemy Skill? Where did you get these?"

Yuffie frowned slightly at him. "Listen, don't start on me. Five years of almost constant materia training is a long time, and, well, let's just say I'm not in a hurry to get back to Wutai." She put her hands on her hips and smirked triumphantly. "Excepting the Master Summon materia, I probably could have finished my quest with the last trip." This caused Vincent's disbelieving eyebrow to raise even higher. "So I've been volunteering to help Nanaki out with the Cosmo Stuff and working on your other materia to waste a little time…" she mumbled.

"You're giving yourself mako poisoning. You can find healthier ways to waste your time!" came Vincent's sharp retort.

The ninja scowled back at him. "I don't want to talk about it. Now listen buddy, do you want me to finish your materia consultation or not?" Vincent eyed her angrily, but she remained tight lipped and defiant under his fierce stare. Finally he relented, and she gave him a tiny, if pressured smile. Satisfied, Yuffie regarded the huge, fierce looking gauntlet on the table with a pensive expression. An internal debate seemed to flicker across her face, and then she came to a decision. Turning back towards the safe, she carefully drew out another bracelet and placed it on the table next to Vincent's armour.

"Yuffie," he said immediately.

"No, Vincent. I want you to have this. I think you need it more than me," she said quietly, pushing the Mystile across the table at him.

Vincent glowered at the young girl. "That's Cloud's personal gift to you," he said simply.

"I KNOW!" she flared up, looking annoyed. "Listen, I've survived this long without it, another three months in the crater isn't gonna kill me. Especially with you two tailing me!" Seeing the resolute expression on his face, she rolled her eyes. "Fine, consider it a loan. And I'm keeping your Ziedrich hostage until we get back, ok?" She grabbed the huge spiky gauntlet and shoved it into the safe before he could protest.

Vincent looked at the deceptively delicate bracelet Yuffie had given him. The magic power radiating from the metal was enough to make his skin tingle faintly even from a distance. "If I take this, what will you wear?"

Yuffie shrugged and grabbed the large, clunky bracelet Nanaki had brought along with his headdress. "This'll do," she said simply.

A frown crossed Vincent's face. "You told Nanaki that was 'crap'," he said.

"It is… when it's empty," she replied, winking. "Don't worry, I'm the Great Ninja Yuffie Kisaragi. I can make it work!" Her face lit up momentarily, and she snatched the Mystile off of the table and quickly began inserting various orbs into its slots. "Nanaki should be back soon… lemmie finish this off for you," she said before he could reply. After a moment, she handed the bracelet to him and pushed his gun across the table. "Put whatever you like in the empty slots," she said with a smile. "But this setup will keep you going in the Crater, and it's not a bad one to use in your free time, either!"

Despite his strong feeling of disapproval, Yuffie was more thorough than a professional salesman, and he couldn't help himself as he glanced down at the materia she had placed in the bracelet. _Odin and Added Effect… Phoenix and Final Attack. The ribbon, a Mystile. An almost impenetrable defense. No other summons, no offensive magic. She's trying to protect me?_ He looked up in surprise as Yuffie beamed back at him. _Of course. For her, it's not about death. It's about life. It has always been about life._ A small smile spread across his face for the second time, turning Yuffie another curious shade of pink. It was a strange, yet good feeling, to have friends who cared for his well-being. He finally understood why Nanaki was so eager to receive one of Yuffie's consultations; materia compilations were obviously not the only skill she had managed to develop during the last few years.

Yuffie's thoughts, on the other hand, were much more simple. She was repeating a simple mantra in the hopes that it would kill the suspicious colour on her face before Nanaki returned. _Blue eyes and short blond hair. Blue eyes and short blond hair. But… he does look cuter than Cloud when he smiles. Oh, no… BLUE EYES AND SHORT BLOND HAIR!_


	5. Journey

As predicted, Cid was less than happy to hear the news of the small group's plan. Yuffie learned several new and useful curses that day, which she swore to teach to Jesse the next time she visited Rocket Town. It might also be observed that Yuffie was not the best tactician.

Five hours, six cocktails, and one package of extra-special Wutanese rolling tobacco later, Cid was grudgingly convinced that it would be okay to let Yuffie return to the northern crater as long as Nanaki and Vincent accompanied her. And so, off they went, with Cid at the helm and Nanaki and Vincent in the cabins below. Yuffie remained on deck, hanging perilously onto the railing while moaning the entire time. Cid had decided to use the rockets once more for the return trip. Let it never be said that the older man didn't know how to get his revenge.

At long last, the three companions stood together on the lip of the northern crater, waving as the Highwind lifted off into the air once more.

"We made it! I wish I could say it's good to be back," Yuffie said, making a few final adjustments on her armour. Nanaki rumbled in agreement, his hackles raising as he looked at the barren wasteland stretching below them.

"I had almost managed to forget how much I detest this place," he growled, his tail flickering nervously. Yuffie reached over and ruffled the fur on Nanaki's head comfortingly, offering him a sympathetic smile.

For Vincent, the experience was completely new. He spent some time studying the features of the landscape, surprised by how little had actually changed since their battle with Sephiroth. Those memories brought back unpleasant feelings, and he wondered how Yuffie could have stood spending so much time in this forsaken place.

The little ninja was all business as she stepped before them, taking lead of their small group. "Listen, guys, I know this crater like the back of my hand. Well, okay, maybe more like the bottom of my foot, but it's still more than you two! So listen to what I'm gonna say, it might save me from having to rescue your butts later on!" she said with a grin. Quickly she began listing off points on her fingers as they marched down the rocky mountainside towards the depths of the crater. "The lifestream's always screwing things up here, so you can't rely on the rocks to figure out your position. Cid always comes back to the same spot, and I've marked the way to it with these posts," she said, coming up to one oddly shaped formation with a brightly colored swatch of fabric tied around it.

Vincent studied the 'post' carefully. "That looks like a dragon femur…" he murmured.

Yuffie blushed slightly and shrugged. "Well, we're a little short on supplies up here, so you use whatcha can," she mumbled. "Just so you know. If we get separated, look for these posts and make your way back outside. It's not so bad out here, the monsters don't bother coming up this far."

They continued down the path, slowly winding their way deeper into the crater. Eventually, they reached the yawning mouth of a cavernous entrance, and Yuffie stopped them once more.

"This is where the hard part starts," she said, pointing inside the cavern. "It's pretty dark in there, but there's some fungus and materia and stuff that lights the way. I know it's not really a problem for you, Red, but I can help you out if you have problems, Vince."

Vincent paused slightly. "That will not be necessary. Mako enhancements improve a human's night vision," he said.

"How do you know that?" Yuffie began, as Vincent stared back at her silently with his unusual red eyes. "Oh," she said dumbly, looking embarrassed. "Well, anyway, you just gotta wing it in here most of the time. The monsters further up aren't too tough, but they're really big. Don't let the size scare ya, though. It's the tiny things you really gotta watch out for, those are the lethal ones. The big guys are easier to take down, they rely on their size too much to intimidate. All wind and no fire!" she laughed. Then she sobered suddenly. "Eh, sometimes fire. But at least it's not too hot!" she covered.

Nanaki began to move forward into the darkness, his tail lighting the way like a beacon. "I'll lead in here," he growled at his companions. "Just tell me which direction to go, Yuffie."

The young girl nodded, pointing the way. "You remember where the materia fall was, Red? We gotta get down there first," she said to him. "Just don't get separated from us, okay? And whatever you do, don't panic and cast if you see a dragon!" she said sternly as their small entourage began the down the perilous rocky path.

… … …

"Leviathan's butt! I told him not to cast!" Yuffie screamed as she and Vincent raced towards the sound of the tumultuous roar. Despite her constant warnings and ceaseless chatter, the party had managed to get separated in the depths of the gloomy cave after only a short time down the path.

It had been an honest accident; Nanaki was familiar with the location Yuffie had described, but neither of them realized how quickly and radically the lifestream had worked on their rough path until it was too late. One moment, the flame of Nanaki's tail had been waving in its usual swaying arc before them, and the next, it had disappeared as the path gave way under the feline's paws. He had fallen with a loud howl, and much to their dismay, was answered by an even louder growl that made the walls of the cavern shake around them. And now, Vincent and Yuffie were racing against time to reach their friend before the owner of the growl did. It was a battle they lost, as they finally reached a large stretch of flat ground, only to see Nanaki as he faced off with a huge, leathery-winged beast.

Nanaki's spell ended with his roar, as the blinding light of the flare he had cast faded from view. The materia had done its work, and the dark dragon roared in pain and anger as the spell dissolved its wings, leaving them hanging uselessly from its back. But the giant lizard was enraged and nowhere near stopping, and as it opened its mouth, the cavern began to fill with a sickly green light.

"#$?§!" Yuffie screamed, abruptly stopping her race towards the lion and grabbing Vincent by the collar of his cloak. She threw them both to the ground as the green mist spread, rolling them painfully towards a pair of boulders.

"Yuffie! What are you doing!" Vincent growled as he struggled to free his himself from her grip. She didn't release her grasp, just hissed under her breath.

"Close your eyes, idiot!"

The slowly building crackling around them stopped Vincent cold, and he did as she asked, sucking in a deep breath and holding it. The energy in the air seemed to thicken, turning painful as it descended around them in poisonous waves, and the very walls of the cave seemed to moan in agony as the deadly mist corroded them. Such was the power of the Ultima spell.

When it was over, Yuffie cracked her eyes open and pulled Vincent back up, swinging out around the boulder in a full sprint towards the form of their fallen companion. "Nanaki!" she screamed desperately as the dragon's jaws lowered towards the collapsed mass of red fur.

Vincent's Death Penalty was already out, trained on the dragon's form as he squeezed the trigger. The bullet flew true, and the deadly jaws stopped their descent as a roar of pain filled the cavern. The beast's head flew back, blood flowing freely out of its now-empty eye socket as it took a few uncertain steps backward.

"Nice shot, Vince! Take care of Nanaki, I got this one!" she yelled, pulling off a strangely shaped blade from her back. Vincent caught himself staring as the young ninja leapt towards the dragon, a single random thought floating through his mind, ridiculously out of place as he watched her bring the weapon forward.  _ That's not the Conformer. What is she doing?! _

That was answered soon enough, as the oversized shuriken flashed out towards the dragon in a deadly arc. The dragon snarled and whipped its tail around, blocking Yuffie's throw and sending the blade whistling towards the walls, where it ricocheted with a trail of flying sparks. This didn't slow the ninja down in the least, who simply performed a graceful leap against the wall and plucked the wildly careening blade out of the air with practiced ease.

As Vincent reached Nanaki's side, he noticed the giant lion stir painfully. "… bad choice…" the cat growled weakly as he tried to struggle to his feet. "Help Yuffie," he whined as he concentrated on activating his healing materia. Vincent nodded and stood, aiming his gun towards the dragon. But there was no time for him to squeeze off a round.

At first he couldn't see Yuffie, and he stayed his trigger finger, fearing the worst for the young girl. A familiar Wutanese battle cry relieved that anxiety as he watched the ninja descend on her foe in a kamikaze dive. She was still holding the blade, but instead of throwing it as she had done before, she held it in front of her with stiff arms. Vincent didn't want to know how, but somehow she had managed to leap or be thrown several feet above the dragon's massive body, and was using her descending momentum as an attack, twisting to increase her speed and tucking her feet into her body to effectively transform into a living, whirling blade as she spun towards the ground.

The dragon gave a roar of victory as it opened its gaping mouth towards the falling girl, who was tiny in comparison to its giant mass. The great beast's eyes began to glow once more, and Vincent's hand tightened around his weapon as he recognized the familiar green mist that was descending around them. The dragon and the ninja collided, and there was the sound of hard scales screeching against steel, and a moment of silence. Then a screaming explosion, as the cavern was washed once again with blinding light.

… … …

"Chainblade Spin. Hmm, or maybe Razor Drop. No, wait, I have it! Bladesaw Splitter!" Nanaki stifled a groan and Vincent managed to refrain from rolling his eyes as Yuffie chatted animatedly with them. "Hey, what? I think it's a great name!" she yelled at them, flinging another unidentifiable piece of shredded dragon off of her head. "Besides, didn't I look really awesome splitting that thing in half?" she crowed, doing a victory dance.

"There wasn't much to see, Yuffie, we were too busy trying to dodge the explosion," Vincent answered sourly as he cleaned the muck off of his gun. Yuffie hadn't been exaggerating when she had complained about the dirt and grime they'd have to wallow in. Still, he had been hoping to spend at least one day in the crater before being caked with entrails and other material that he didn't care to identify. Nanaki was having a much worse time, not even having the benefit of clothing to protect his fur from the mess.

"We're fortunate that she stopped the dragon before it had the chance to cast another Ultima," the cat said gamely, despite his bedraggled appearance. "The only misfortune is the size of the explosion from the backwash of magic energy inside of the beast."

Yuffie scowled and crossed her arms. "That's right, just be glad I killed it! And Nanaki, don't you dare try something that STUPID again!" she added, leaning over and rubbing the giant cat's head roughly. "If it's got wings and a tail, no casting! We've got plenty of supplies left, we don't need to be eating ultimas yet!" she wailed. The large cat, still tired from his ordeal, just purred roughly and butted her hand with his head.

Vincent paused from his cleaning to study the young ninja as she joked with the cat. She was definitely a sight to see. Her hair was plastered against her face and her skin stained dark, being the one who had received the brunt of the explosion. Her eyes glowed brighter than ever, and her teeth shone white in the darkness as she grinned. She looked like a mischievous child who had just jumped into a gutter full of mud on a rainy day. Once again, the strange sight of the carefree child within her was at disturbing odds with the image of the whirling messenger of death that destroyed a beast more than twice her size, and as she flicked another wet chunk off of her shoulder, he was reminded that it wasn't simply mud she had bathed in.

"Is this how you've lived for two years, Yuffie?" he said suddenly, his voice cutting across her banter with Nanaki.

Yuffie stilled, her eyes dimming and growing hooded as she glanced at him. "You do what you have to," was all she said, the smile dropping from her face. Standing up, she finished cleaning herself off as well as she could, and looked around. "We should get moving. The remains will attract other monsters, we don't wanna be here when that happens," she said as she helped Nanaki to his feet.

Vincent sighed, mildly annoyed with himself for disturbing the relieved happiness they had shared with the demise of their foe. But the young ninja leading the way before him was growing into a disturbing enigma the more he learned about her. Something was not right, something he couldn't yet grasp and name. But the girl of cheer and smiles was hiding a darkness that he could sense, one that became openly visible in battle. Having recently begun his arduous climb out from the depths of a self-created hell, to watch Yuffie steadily descending into her own disturbed him more than he liked to admit. Their actions mirrored his dark thoughts as they continued their way down into the thickening darkness of the crater.

… … …

The steel blades of Yuffie's shuriken flashed from time to time in the darkness before him. The weapon was strapped to her back, and as she led the group down the rocky path, it gave Vincent ample time to study it.

The gunman had never been one to pay careful attention to the others' weapons, apart from very general observations. He had simply never been that interested in anything outside of his own rifles. But the hike they were undertaking was a long and arduous one, and Vincent had plenty of time to sift through his memories to try and place it, somehow feeling it was important. The dull red paint and the curving S of the wicked twin blades tickled at the back of his memory as he tried to pin its name down. When he did, he abruptly stopped walking, causing Nanaki to bump into the back of his legs.

"Is there a problem, Vincent?" the lion asked, his eye glowing gold as he looked up towards the gunman.

The man nodded slightly, his eyes narrowing in annoyance as he stared at Yuffie, who had stopped and turned around.

"What?" she asked, noticing his glare. "Do my shorts have a hole in them or something?" she asked suddenly, flushing and craning her neck around to look at the suspected problem.

"Twin Viper," came Vincent's terse reply. It had taken him a while to remember the name because it was so old. Although it was a nasty-looking weapon, the reality was that the blade was very weak and only held room for four materia slots, and even those were unlinked. The only redeeming factor of the shuriken was the mild enchantment beaten into the metal, allowing for the growth of materia at a rate double that of a normal weapon.

This observation was followed immediately by Nanaki's roar. "WHAT? Yuffie! Explain!"

The ninja mumbled and fidgeted, kicking at phantom pebbles in the dirt. She looked like a child whose hand had been caught in the cookie jar, petulant but as of yet unrepentant. "Well, I thought it would speed things up a little, you know? Besides, with the two of you here, I can take a few more risks. Come on, Red, Vince, I know you've got my back…" she said with a weak smile.

"Protecting you is one thing. Watching you fight with a butter knife is another, Yuffie!" Nanaki said, striding forward angrily. He bared his teeth to emphasize his point. Nanaki could be a very intimidating sight when he was upset, and Yuffie quickly put her hands up, taking a step backwards.

"All right, all right! Calm down, Red, I brought the Oritsuru with me!" she yelled, reaching into her pack. Drawing the ridiculous-looking mass of folded steel from her pack, she waved it towards Nanaki's nose.

"Don't show it to me, unfold it and use it," he rumbled, sitting down and wrapping his tail around his feet. "Aww…" began Yuffie, a pleading look in her eyes, but it was obvious that the giant lion wasn't going to budge until she did as he commanded. Yuffie looked at Vincent for support, pouting cutely. He just shook his head at her and shifted his posture slightly, leaning against the wall as he crossed his arms.

A strangled noise of frustration escaped from the ninja as she sat down and cursed, her fingers struggling to unfold the complicated twists of the throwing crane. "I hate this thing, you know?" she mumbled as the weapon began to take shape. "It looks stupid!" she complained, placing the finishing touches on the weapon and holding up the metallic origami bird. "You won't be seeing me doing any more Bladesaw Splitters with this piece of junk," she sulked as she began to transfer her materia into the new weapon, choosing a few more orbs out from the small bag at her waist.

Nanaki flicked his tail impatiently, watching her progress like a hawk. "If you don't like it so much, use the Conformer," he growled. "Or did you even bring that?" He ignored the rude gesture Yuffie flicked at him as she finished switching her weapons and folded up the Viper.

Vincent only noted their argument distractedly, his eyes darting around the dark passage they had stopped in and his ears alert. He stood up suddenly, tensing. "Something's coming," he announced to the others, drawing his gun. Yuffie and Nanaki were on their feet immediately, joining his side. Nanaki bared his fangs, his ears pointing this way and that as he sniffed quietly at the air. Yuffie brought the tiny weapon before her defensively, and despite her earlier lamentations about it, she now gripped it fiercely with a practiced hand.

Nanaki's eyes narrowed, and then a low growl rippled from his throat. "A Tonberry," he whispered. "Further up the passage. We can backtrack and outrun it, and wait for it to pass," he said, taking a step backwards.

Vincent frowned. He had never fought a Tonberry before, except in the Battle Square; granted, they were tough little creatures despite their diminutive size. He didn't understand why Nanaki's hackles were raised and his fur was bristling so much, though. Especially considering Yuffie's behaviour, as her eyes glinted in the darkness and a eager smile spread across her face.

"You guys go ahead. I got some business with this little guy," she said, stepping forward.

"Yuffie!" Nanaki's hiss pulled her back, the fierce glare of his single eye pinning her to the spot. "What are you doing? Don't you remember the last time we fought one?" he growled.

She glared back with equal fury at Nanaki, as the swinging glow of the monster's lantern slowly came into view. "I remember the last time  **_I_ ** fought one just fine, Red. I can take him. You guys can go back if you want, this will only take a little while!"

The lion shook his head angrily and steeled himself, stepping forward to accompany Yuffie to battle. Vincent fell in line beside them, voicing his confusion. "I don't understand. It's just a Tonberry? There shouldn't be any problem," he murmured.

"Yeah," Yuffie said with a fierce nod as the little creature came fully into sight and stopped, considering their small group.

Nanaki growled, and as Vincent looked up, he bit back his words. This was unlike any Tonberry he had ever seen in the Battle Square. Its flesh wasn't green, but mottled purple, and a strange, flashing aura surrounded its head. But most of all, its beady yellow eyes glowed with a cunning intelligence that had never graced the face of any of its daylight brethren. It raised the lantern towards them in a silent greeting, and resumed its slow march forward.

"It's a Master Tonberry, Vincent," Nanaki growled under his breath, baring his fangs. "It doesn't attack with blades or magic," he said. "It attacks your mind."

Yuffie nodded quickly, taking a moment to breathlessly warn her companions. "I've figured out the way they think, how they attack," she said. "It depends on your state of mind. Think happy thoughts, and most of all, don't think about killing stuff, or stuff you've killed! You should be okay, Red, just keep thinking of Bugenhagen and Cosmo when he goes for you," she said. She glanced at Vincent and choked slightly. "Umm… just… you could… eh… well, you've got Phoenix, Vince," was all she could say.

He stifled an inward groan and pointed his rifle at the tiny creature before them. "Comforting," he quipped, and then fired. Absently, he heard Yuffie yell in surprise, too late to stop him.

"No, Vincent! Don't attack him first, you'll get his attention!" But her voice seemed to be coming to him from a great distance. The bullet slammed into the little creature, and it paused in its awkward waddle, staggering slightly, before training its squint on him. He recalled Yuffie's words in the sunlight of Cosmo Canyon, so innocent then, their impact fully reaching him now.

" _ Did you know some of those things up there can speak? Well, not really the way we do, but they can communicate with you, somehow…" _

The creature held its lantern up, and darkness circled around the edge of his vision. He felt it whispering in his head, coherent words not forming, but still he knew to whom the voice belonged. It chittered rapidly, its tone disapproving, almost as if it were simply scolding him for trying to end its life. He found himself drawn into the lantern's flames as they rose around him, choking him with the smoke and heat. Vincent fell to his knees, the passage and its company falling away from his vision as the clicking and chittering grew louder. And his heart chilled as the flames parted. For walking through them was a figure, one he knew only too well. She smiled at him, tenderly, her green eyes flashing, and held her arms open towards him, inviting.

" _ Come to me," _ she whispered.  _ "Come to me, and I will give you peace." _ Vincent found himself falling forward, unable to help himself. So beautiful… her long hair, her soft lips, her pale skin… he reached out, trying to touch her, trying to ask for forgiveness, and she smiled in understanding. But it was a wolf's smile, and her teeth were pointed, and the pain and flames closed in around him, her arms a deadly vice that promised to drag him with her to hell.

"NOOOOOO!" The scream ripped itself almost painfully from his chest, as the heat became unbearable. Gradually, he realized that the flames were consuming him from within, not without, and that the image of Lucretia had faded from view. In its place was the tiny mottled creature, its lantern held before it protectively as it screamed in pain.

_ What—  _ he tried to think, but the flames were uncontrollable. Faintly, he felt a familiar touch of magic surround him, but its pain lanced through him like never before. Phoenix was unlike any other summon, one he remembered only Cloud attempting before, and now he knew why.  _ "It's not the same," _ the blond had said, his face hardening as he relayed his experience.  _ "The phoenix… it gives you life, but it takes something away each time, too. I don't like using it, it always feels wrong." _ Cloud, the master of understatement. And doubly painful, because he hadn't requested the great beast's help. Yuffie's materia chain drew the life-giving summon forcefully out of him like poison from an infected wound.

The screech of rage building in his mind came echoing through his beak. He spread his wings, transformed, and the flames rushed out. They lashed at the Tonberry furiously as his body reformed and solidified. As quickly as it had come, Phoenix left him, leaving him weak and gasping for breath, but alive on the cavern floor. He felt a pair of hands by his side, helping him to his feet and a whispered breath in his ear. "Idiot," she said softly, her voice filled with sympathy. He couldn't reply, couldn't even bring himself to move as he heard her call for Nanaki to help. The sounds of a battle raged around his ears, but he couldn't make his eyes focus. He felt a slight pressure by his leg, and the sensation of fur under his fingertips as the giant lion carefully guided him backwards. "Yuffie…" he bit out, his vision finally clearing as he looked back towards the fight.

"She can take care of herself," Nanaki said gruffly as he pulled Vincent out of the area. "She might be crazy at times, Vincent, but she knows how to handle herself and the creatures here better than any of us."

A flash of light lit the cavern, and Vincent looked upwards to see the Tonberry holding its cursed lantern high as Yuffie was held in the creature's psychic grasp. But it was the look on her face that surprised him the most as the magic swirled around her. Her body was contorted with pain, but she was smiling manically and her arms were outspread. Her gray eyes cracked open and she stared down at the tiny creature, her mouth gaping with harsh, silent laughter. It froze, and for a moment Vincent thought he could hear the soft chittering once more in his mind. Then its lantern lowered submissively, and Yuffie's smile widened. The glow around her body increased and the light of the Phoenix burst forward once more. It was all he had time to observe before Nanaki pushed him further back, obscuring the view of the two combatants from his sight.

… … …

Yuffie allowed herself to fall into the Tonberry's grip. It wasn't as though she could avoid it, anyway, she reasoned. Still, that didn't make surviving it any easier.

The lantern rose, and so did her vision. It was Wutai, all over again, and her father stood before her, dressed in his full battle regalia. She felt the burn of the wounds lacerating her body, and grit her teeth. Hadn't she already made it to the top of the pagoda? No matter, she kicked Godo's butt once, she could do it again. Readying her shuriken, she prepared to throw it at him.

" _ But you've already defeated me, Yuffie," _ her father said, his eyes blazing.  _ "You must face your next opponent now. You must face the final mighty god of Wutai," _ he said, stepping aside. Yuffie's grip on the shuriken loosened as her insides froze over. Behind Godo stood a petite form, her silken brown hair spilling to the ground in radiant waves. She shone like a goddess, and her face was graced with a gentle smile. "Mama…" Yuffie choked.

" _ Face me, Yuffie. You must defeat the Five Mighty Gods," _ her mother whispered to her, as the transformation took place. "Mama… no, don't leave me!" Yuffie screamed, the tears running from her eyes as her mother's body twisted and distorted, taking on the many-faced form of the Da Chao.  _ "Face me," _ the voice came again, this time distorted and ugly. The monster reached for her, and reflexively, Yuffie snatched up her weapon and sent it sailing in a desperate throw.

The vision split, shattered as the Tonberry's lantern lowered, its job done. But not before she saw the blood spill from her hasty but accurate attack. Only it was her mother once more, not the fearsome visage of the Da Chao, and her beautiful silken hair was matted and pressed against her face.  _ "You did well, Yuffie," _ her voice echoed softly as the threads faded. It was too late, she could feel the life leeching out of her body, drained by the small Tonberry like a mosquito sucking blood. She forced herself to stay upright, spreading her arms, listening to the creature's satisfied clacking inside of her head.

_ You think you've beaten me? You think you've won? _ She asked it silently, a smile spreading over her face. It paused, chittering inside of her head, confused. Its prey didn't usually talk back, the Tonberry's devastating attacks generally ensured that. The fire curled in Yuffie's breast, and she gave into it willingly, clenching her teeth as her body died to give birth to the life-renewing summon.  _ You don't know anything. But you let me see mother again, in your own stupid way. I forgive you, _ she said, smiling as she stared the tiny creature.  _ I'll make it quick, that's my thank-you, _ she promised as her body dissolved, the shrill cry of phoenix rising into the air. The little creature seemed to understand, lowering its lantern and bowing its head.

When the flames subsided, Yuffie stood once more, whole, with her weapon at the ready. She twirled it in a complicated pattern a few times and then sent it flying towards the injured creature, who had slowed considerably from the wounds she and Vincent had inflicted on it. The strike was true, but the Tonberry was more resilient than she had expected, and its head shot up in anger as she caught the shuriken. Yuffie gulped nervously. "Oh, $#$..." she murmured as she saw it raising the lantern once more. There was nothing that could infuriate a Tonberry more than being lied to, and apparently her stupid flying crane wasn't getting the job done fast enough. She braced herself for the next mental onslaught, cringing and hoping that the Phoenix materia would be ready in time.

The lantern flames began to rise, but a shot rang out, and Yuffie's swimming vision cleared. A surprised Tonberry stood before her, looking at the shattered glass of his lantern forlornly. She turned slightly to see Vincent standing behind her, his eyes narrowed and the barrel of the Death Penalty still smoking. Turning, she didn't waste any time, and when the Oritsuru took flight, it found its target and dispatched it with a final, efficient blow.

Yuffie caught the weapon, bowing her head slightly. "Sorry," she whispered to the tiny corpse as the others approached. Steeling herself, she turned to face them and gave Vincent a large smile. "That was pretty smart, taking out the lantern like that!" she cheered.

Nanaki growled, trailing behind the tall man. "How can you fight those things?" he rumbled, a faint shiver rippling through his body as he glared at the corpse.

Yuffie opened her mouth to reply, but Vincent answered for her. "You do what you have to," he said, pinning her under his probing gaze. Nanaki moved forward, eager to leave the battle behind, and Vincent followed. He stopped as he passed by Yuffie, leaning forward slightly. "I saw you," he whispered silently. "The next time you have a chance like that, aim to kill. I don't care where you get your ribbons from." It wasn't a lecture, but a warning. She swallowed, looking back at the corpse for a long moment before sheathing her weapon and running after her two companions.


	6. Dischord

Time seemed to forget the three companions as they travelled deeper into the crater. Without the sky to mark the passage of days, the small pocket watch Yuffie brought along was the only way they could keep track of the time they spent underground. In the weeks that followed, it was not the small entourage's first or last meeting with the Tonberries, Dragons, or other creatures residing within the crater, but the battles did slowly become easier as Vincent and Nanaki learned to adopt to the monsters' ways. That was not to say they didn't have their fair share of close calls, but the prowess learned from their fights with Jenova was quickly remembered, and perhaps even sharpened as they faced down the monsters in the crater day after day.

They would take turns during the evening watch, guard duty aided with the help of Yuffie's Enemy Away materia while the others rested fitfully and recovered their strength. It was during these times that Vincent had the opportunity to observe his companions freely, their defenses lowered while they slept peacefully by his feet.

Nanaki was faring the worst of all of them; it wasn't surprising that he didn't want to return to the crater with Yuffie. The giant lion was a creature of the planet, meant to bask in the warmth of the sun and the gentle caress of a fresh breeze under the open sky. The dank, claustrophobic confines of the crater were like poison to his body, leeching the giant cat's stamina continuously. Nanaki also had an affinity for hearing the voices of the planet, and though he could control himself while awake, he would whine and his paws would twitch convulsively as he slept, plagued by the nightmares of the restless lifestream below them. Or perhaps equally plagued by their impending meeting with the Gi, his unusual brethren. They were drawing closer to the place Yuffie had first found them; she kept them informed of their progress constantly.

Yuffie was as cheerful as ever, as though they weren't carving a bloody path through the heart of the northern continent but rather taking a stroll through the beautiful countryside of the Cosmo valley. She would throw herself violently into each battle, however, something even Nanaki noted with increasing concern. He had spoken with Vincent quietly on some of their watch nights, discussing the young ninja as she slept. Yuffie's dual personality as a warrior had always been present, even in her days working under Cloud. But the lion confided in Vincent that it was becoming more pronounced than he remembered. She would charge into battle recklessly with almost any foe, more often than not preferring to land the first blow before the surprised victim could even register her swift attacks. It wasn't that her maniac strategy was unsound, but the apparent disregard for personal safety that she used when she threw herself into a fight was worrying to both of her companions. At night she would fall into a deep slumber almost immediately, her body too exhausted to be plagued by dreams. Vincent was fast coming to conclude that her behaviour was a defense mechanism developed to keep the demons of the crater at bay while she slept.

Surprisingly enough, Vincent found himself to be the lone member of the group the least affected by their extended stay in the crater. He was used to long periods of solitude and darkness, and he found the time away from the petty concerns of the human civilizations aboveground to be a relaxing change from his previous five years of world-weary wandering. But moreover, the dangerous and solitary atmosphere of the crater forced the three friends to become more close-knit than they might have bothered to be in more comfortable circumstances. It was clear to see how Yuffie and Nanaki had developed their friendship, having spent time in the crater together before, and in a strange way Vincent felt as though he was earning the same privilege with each step they took deeper into the earth. Beyond just the added companionship, Vincent sometimes found the atmosphere of the northern crater itself soothing, as if knowing that even the planet itself still suffered and struggled helped ease his own doubts and pains.

Their arrival at what Yuffie had called the "Materia Falls" was a wondrous interlude in their dark and dangerous journey. The huge cavern shone almost as brightly as daylight due to the many pools of bright green mako spread around the uneven floor. It reflected off of the many materia formations in the walls to form a luminescent aura around the whole area. Some of the materia had crystallized in an odd pattern against one entire rock face, forming a clear sheet that looked like a turbulent waterfall unexpectedly frozen in place. They rested for the "evening" there, taking comfort in the light and natural beauty surrounding them. As his companions slept, Vincent heard the materia sing to him with a voice clearer than ever before. For once Nanaki's whines died out as the lion earned a slight reprieve and slipped into a peaceful slumber.

Vincent sat back on a rock overlooking their makeshift campsite, his eyes periodically scanning around the cavern warily, ever on the watch for intrusions from the less friendly denizens of the crater. A slight noise brought his attention back to his companions, and he saw Yuffie stir in her sleep.  _ So… even she dreams sometimes, _ he thought to himself.

"Ngg… ma… nooo…" she mumbled, tossing and turning restlessly. "… Aeris!" With a jerk, she sat up, bringing her hands to her mouth as she came awake suddenly, the cry dying on her lips. As her eyes focused, she looked around wildly and spotted Vincent's attentive scrutiny. Immediately she flushed, embarrassment rushing to her face.

"Oh man… sorry Vince, didn't mean to wake up like that, cryin' like a little girl and everything," she mumbled.

Vincent shrugged lightly, his face impassive as usual. "You had a nightmare. There is no shame in that," he answered her quietly.

The girl smiled at him thankfully and pulled her knees up to her chest. "Well, I'm awake now. I can take over the watch if you want to get some shut-eye," she said. Vincent shook his head, turning back to his regard of the shimmering walls around them. "I'd rather stay awake a little longer, Yuffie," he replied. She hummed in agreement, and a companionable silence settled as they listened to the song of the materia around them.

Of course, it was Yuffie who broke the tranquil silence first. Vincent suppressed a sigh as she opened her mouth. "It sounds different here, doesn't it?" That caught him by surprise, and he spared a glance at the ninja. "What?"

"It sounds different," she repeated reasonably. "You mean you haven't noticed it by now? The materia talks, Vince. That's part of the fun of finding natural materia caves," she told him. "Every one has a different voice. Sometimes… sometimes, I think I can hear Aeris when I listen close enough," she said quietly. "It's probably wishful thinking," she added as an afterthought.

Vincent shook his head slightly, allowing the ghost of a smile to trace his lips. "No… you are right. I can't imagine any way to be closer to her than this," he said, leaning back and listening to the song around them. Another silence descended, and the two basked in the rare peace that the moment offered them.

After a while, Vincent felt Yuffie's eyes boring into him, and he turned and saw her stare. She instantly blushed bright pink and looked away, caught in the act. His brows knitted together as he wondered what she was thinking. It wasn't the first time he had noticed Yuffie stealing glances at him when she thought he wasn't looking. And it was inevitably the same when he did manage to catch her eye. She would flush brightly and turn away, ignoring him completely. It was beginning to irritate him. "Yuffie." he said. She immediately took up a close inspection of her shoelaces. "Yuffie," he began again, louder this time. "Why were you looking at me?" he asked bluntly.

The young ninja's guard was up instantly. "Who said I was looking at you?" she fenced defensively. "For your information, there was a really interesting looking piece of materia right behind your head!"

Vincent's eyes narrowed. "Really. I didn't know you possessed the capability to look through my head," he said mirthlessly.

Another blush graced Yuffie's face, and her fingers twitched nervously. "Well, okay. Maybe I  _ was _ looking at you," she admitted in a tiny voice. "But I wasn't thinking about you. I swear!" she said, glaring up at him accusingly.

This caused Vincent's eyebrow to rise ever so slightly. "Oh? Then who were you thinking of?" he asked her suspiciously.

"Cloud!" she answered instantly, her face guileless.

"Cloud." he repeated, his tone clearly indicating his disbelief.

"Yeah, Cloud!" she said eagerly. "I was just thinking about how handsome he is. Those beautiful blue eyes, and that cute blond hair, and all those muscles…" she said, her voice taking on a dreamy quality. "He really is incredible. You don't look anything like him," she added absently. The sensible part of Yuffie registered that she had said the last part out loud after a few moments, and her face exploded into a bright shade of red. "I-I-I m-mean I... that is... uh, it's not that you look bad, actually I think you look kinda okay, I mean, I don't think you look kinda okay. ACK! I mean you look fine, uh, just a different kind of fine than Cloud!" she fumbled desperately. Vincent's sigh cut across the cavern. She gathered her courage and spared him a glance, and her heart caught her throat as she saw him regarding her with his mysterious red eyes.

Vincent felt dread settle in his stomach as he saw the hopeful look in Yuffie's timid gaze. He knew that look, he had been on its receiving end on more than one occasion when he was still a young Turk. It was the look of infatuation, and it was generally followed by the blushing girl's declaration of undying devotion. He really hated those types of looks; they usually came from younger, inexperienced girls who knew nothing of who he was or what he wanted. His response was quick and reflexive.  _ Nip this in the bud. _ "Yuffie, don't fall in love," he warned her simply. "You'll only get hurt." Though he purposefully left the statement ambiguous, his meaning was clear, and his words fell between them like leaden weights.

Yuffie looked away quickly. It was getting harder to read the emotions in her normally expressive eyes as the mako seeped deeper into her bloodstream, masking her reactions behind their bright glow. She inhaled deeply, and when she looked back at Vincent, her face was stony. "Gawd! SOMEONE here's got an ego, doesn't he?" she shot back. "You sure know how to assume a helluva a lot from a look, Valentine. Well let me tell you something. You shouldn't do any more assuming. It only makes an ass outta you, not me!" she growled. With that, she turned her back to him roughly and flopped to the ground to sleep. "Wake me up when we're ready to leave," she called over her shoulder irritably before falling silent.

Vincent remained motionless, although inwardly he winced. That didn't go as badly as it might have, but it still felt as though the situation had been handled poorly. He hoped it wouldn't affect their travels through the crater too much. Still, the peace of the evening had been broken, he thought with a resigned sigh. The gunman turned his gaze away from the back of the fuming ninja, and tried to concentrate on the sound of the materia's song.

Some hours later, he eventually gave up. Yuffie was right, the song was different in every cave. The only other notes he managed hear that evening were discordant and unsettling.

… … …

Nanaki's tail swished back and forth in irritation. He fixed his glare on the back of one of the causes of his annoyance as he followed her upwards on the sloping path. Yuffie demanded to lead the group that day, and was currently trampling through the passage at a breakneck pace that had already attracted the attention of an unusually large amount of monsters. As if that were not enough, she remained atypically silent, giving no explanation for her behaviour. It wasn't that she needed to, however, as that was clear enough to the lion.

He flicked his ears backwards as he heard the crumbling of stone underneath Vincent's metal-tipped boots. The gunman was being silent as usual, having said nothing since they woke up and left that morning. He might have assumed it to be the normal behaviour for their stoic companion, but Nanaki was becoming familiar with the slight changes in Vincent's moods from the way he carried himself. Today the human's posture was painfully stiff, indicating his mental discomfort. The giant cat's ears swiveled forward once more as he growled softly. "I've come to expect this sort of childish behaviour from Yuffie," he began, "but I'm surprised that you would be a part of it as well, Vincent," Nanaki finished, trying to break free of the tension sandwich that he was currently caught in.

Yuffie whirled around violently, her finger already pointing towards Vincent as her eyes flashed furiously. "He started it!" she yelled immediately. "And what did you mean by that anyway? I'm mature!" she added, stomping her foot childishly for emphasis.

Vincent's eyebrow shot up immediately, and then lowered dangerously into a scowl. "Yuffie is simply overreacting to a reasonable request I made of her last evening," he answered.

"REASONABLE? Why you-" the girl began, but Nanaki cut her off with a growl. "No yelling!" he shouted. "Now will one of you please tell me what this argument is about?"

"Fine!" Yuffie huffed, planting her hands on her hips. "Mr. Icicle caught me looking at him last night, and now he thinks I'm madly in love with him," she said, pinning Vincent with an accusing glare. "He's afraid I might touch him with a 10-foot pole and muss his perfect hair now," she smirked.

Nanaki felt his own eyebrow raise as he regarded the girl. Well, it wasn't surprising, she had developed a crush on Cloud before, after all. Yuffie's romantic magnet always did seem to have its poles switched. He turned his head to regard Vincent. "Well?"

The scowl seemed to embed itself deeper into Vincent's expression as glared back coolly. "Yuffie, your attentions are unwanted," he said evenly. "They are the capricious desires of an infatuated child. You had best be rid of them before they turn into an unpleasant distraction for both of us."

Yuffie's face turned red and her fists clenched by her sides. Nanaki bowed his head and covered his good eye with a paw in resignation, hoping that Yuffie wasn't planning on testing the strength of the All Creation.

"Infatuated child? Unpleasant distraction? On my GAWD!" she screamed, throwing her hands up into the air. "Just where do you get off thinking that, Vincent Valentine? Do you think the sun rises and sets for you too? I can't BELIEVE you!" she sputtered. He only raised his eyebrow at her, as if silently challenging her to prove his statement wrong. "You know what your problem is, Vincent? You take things way too seriously," she hissed in a low voice. "Maybe you're right. Maybe I thought… and you hear that, buddy, THOUGHT, past tense… you were kinda cute looking. Maybe I was wondering what it might be like to get to know you better. But no, apparently, you're too EMOTIONALLY CONSTIPATED to even HANDLE that idea!" she continued, her voice rising with each word. "No, Vincent Valentine can't have a normal relationship with anyone. He can't even handle having friends! It's gotta be all or nothing with you, doesn't it, Vincent?"

"Yuffie—" Nanaki cut in, sensing that she was pushing too fast and too far. But the young ninja would have none of it, too caught up in her own rage.

"Best friends or none at all! True love or revulsion! You probably think of this whole damn place as one big Vincent Valentine Vacation Resort, because down here you don't have to deal with other people! Especially the ones dumb enough to call themselves your friends!" Yuffie's voice became shrill. "Except for us, right? Except for me and Nanaki? So when are you gonna start calling him an 'annoying distraction', huh Vince? Or do I get the special treatment just 'cause I'm the only girl around here?" She finally ended her tirade, her chest heaving and her breath leaving her in ragged gasps.

Vincent remained silent, but recoiled slightly as her words struck him like a slap. When he did finally respond, his voice was low and emotionless. "If you didn't wish me to accompany you on this trip, you should have mentioned it earlier." Yuffie's mouth opened and closed slightly as a look of shame crossed her face. He cut her off, brushing past Nanaki brusquely. "When we return to Cosmo Canyon, I'll leave. Until then you will have to tolerate my presence," he said, stopping before the young ninja, his great height towering over her darkly. "However detestable you may find it to be." He pushed past her, the tattered remains of his cloak swirling into the darkness.

"#!§?. I messed it up, didn't I, Red?" she said quietly as she stared down the passage he had taken. The lion's low sigh made her spirits sink even further, and she bit her lower lip to prevent it from trembling.

A comforting purr rumbled from Nanaki's throat as he pushed his head under her hand and nuzzled it gently. "Look on the bright side, Yuffie," he told her gently. "We still have two months to spend together here. It's more than enough time for you to repair the damage you've caused."

Yuffie's eyebrow raised slightly as she glanced down at the cat. "Whoa, wait a second there, Nanaki, it's not like he's completely innocent, either," she said stiffly.

The giant cat fixed his one eye on her. "People who are only beginning to discover their own flaws do not usually appreciate the mirror being put upon them forcibly," he answered mildly. "I am sure that if a good friend of mine had problems with attachment and a fear of rejection, it would not be very helpful to tell her that lashing out at her companion's understandable reaction to her overtures would come to no good." With that, he stood up and continued down the passage, leaving Yuffie staring at his retreating figure with an open mouth.

… … …

Vincent kept his eyes trained on the tunnel ahead, ignoring the sounds of footfalls as Nanaki scrabbled after him. His mind was turning, his anger sparked by Yuffie's sharp words of attack. The anger gnawed at him, causing a familiar and slightly painful stirring in his breast.  _ The Chaos Beast _ , he thought to himself. The corners of Vincent's mouth turned down slightly, the only visible sign of his seething anger. He had almost forgotten what it felt like, to be chained to a physical manifestation of his anger One good round of verbal sparring with the impudent ninja had managed to change all that. He ground his teeth together, his eyes narrowing.  _ Not since… not since Lucretia… _ Red seeped into the corners of his vision as his thoughts whirled on each other like vicious animals. How dare she, SHE of all people, flay open his inner demons and pronounce judgement on them, as though she were his keeper? His anger boiled under the surface of his skin. He wanted to tear the angry expression she had worn off of her face with his claws… Vincent's murderous contemplation was interrupted by the sound of soft footfalls beside him, and he glanced around quickly to identify the source of the intrusion.

Nanaki stared back at him, his golden eye squinting in concern. "Vincent. Are you feeling well?" the lion asked him, continuing his pace at Vincent's side.

"I am fine," the gunman responded, managing to keep his voice level. He pulled his face back into the shadows of his cloak and stared ahead resolutely.

Nanaki wuffled beside him and flicked his tail. "That's strange. I would be angry with Yuffie if she spoke to me that way," he said nonchalantly. Vincent looked down sharply, but Nanaki was staring at the darkness ahead, seemingly paying no mind to the human beside him at all.

Vincent considered whether or not to allow the giant cat to continue in silence. Then, with the vague feeling that he might regret his decision, he spoke once more. "Perhaps a little upset," he admitted. "That girl should learn to think before she opens her mouth," he said, a hint of the anger raging within him colouring his voice.

"While I agree that Yuffie often takes actions too quickly for her own good," the lion offered to his companion, "I wouldn't make the mistake to assume that she hasn't thought about them." Nanaki's voice took on a slightly disapproving quality. "I would also caution you against assuming that Yuffie is still the same sixteen-year-old girl you left behind five years ago," he growled quietly. Noting Vincent's silence, he continued. "Yuffie has trouble expressing her feelings to others, Vincent. She isn't so unlike yourself," he added. "Perhaps you could give her the benefit of your understanding, even if you are uninterested in what she might offer." At last the cat turned his eye away from the road and looked up at Vincent. "Yuffie's greatest desire is only to be heard, Vincent. I don't believe that is beyond your emotional capabilities," he finished.

Vincent said nothing for a long while, thinking over the beast's words. "I do not…. can not offer her the comfort she is seeking," he said after some consideration.

Nanaki only rumbled under his breath slightly in his closest approximation of a human chuckle. "Vincent. You might find it beneficial to make the attempt," he said. "For both of your sakes."

The anger drained from Vincent's body as he slowed his steps. "Wise words, Nanaki." The cat dipped his head in slight acknowledgement of the compliment. He stopped, turning around and looked behind them at the passage. "Where is Yuffie?"

Nanaki also paused, turning his head and squinting at the passage behind them. "She should have reached us by now. We should go back and see what's keeping her," he growled.

The young ninja in question had actually not moved very far from the location where she had exploded at her friends. She found a particularly large piece of twisted root jutting out from the cave's floor and sat down on it, putting her chin in her hand.

_ Am I really that bad? _ she thought, twirling the Oritsuru before herself absently. Sure, she knew she had said some pretty horrid things to Vincent, but it was Nanaki's words that chased through her mind now.  _ Was I really just overreacting to him turning me away? It's not like it hasn't happened before, _ she thought stubbornly. The metal crane winked at her, its wings condensing and reflecting the weak light of the cavern in brief flashes as she turned it.  _ It's actually happened a lot. A whole lot. A whole lotta lot… _ She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't hear the soft pattering in the cavern before her. It was only when irregular sound of stone crunching was next to her ear that she looked up quickly.

"Nanaki?"

Yuffie bit back a scream as she looked up to the owner of the soft footfalls. Or, rather owners.  _ Those weren't footsteps _ , she thought with dread as she flipped off of the root, thankful that her Oritsuru was at least in hand.

The four innocent looking orange balls bounced in front of her almost playfully, looking for all the world like a set of animated children's toys. But Yuffie wasn't deceived by their harmless appearance, and cringed as they quickly trapped her in the center of their makeshift square. "Movers!" she groaned, taking aim at the nearest one and letting the Oritsuru fly. The swift orange ball quickly bounced out of the path of her throw, eliciting another curse from the ninja. "And four of them, too. Gawd, this is just Yuffie's lucky day, isn't it?" she groaned, as the four objects suddenly began to twirl in unison around her with dizzying speed. She drew her weapon to her head as a shield, once again cursing the Oritsuru's ridiculously small size, and squeezed her eyes shut as the attack hit.

Stars exploded around the cavern and Yuffie felt her stomach drop out through the bottom of her shoes. Motion sickness lurched through her body as the creatures' attack disoriented her sense of direction completely. "Ugh…" she coughed, the stars refusing to leave her vision even after the spell faded. Spinning wildly, she desperately tried to focus on the sounds of the tiny bouncing balls to identify their location.

The Movers decided to be helpful, as one by one they began to dive at her and painfully reveal their presence across her unprotected flesh. The air rushed out of her with a gasp as one slammed into her stomach, and she let out a shriek of pain as another crashed into the back of her legs, knocking them out from under her. Yuffie hit the floor with a groan, but the pain was at least enough to make her head clear. It was fortunate, too, as she saw two of the balls descending towards her face with terminal velocity. This time she didn't waste her breath with a scream, opting instead to continue her roll. The deadly orange balls showered her with bits of debris as they slammed into the stone floor beside her, shattering it with explosive force of their impact.

"!#$!" she swore, tumbling messily to her feet. "Sorry guys, gotta go!" she yelled, her pride not allowing her to retreat without at least a verbal blow, before turning and sprinting up the passage as fast as her feet could carry her.

… … …

The sound of Yuffie's scream followed by a few blasts caused Vincent and Nanaki to break into a run.

"Yuffie!" Vincent murmured, fear suddenly seizing him.  _ If my words and actions bring her to harm… _ he thought with a sense of dread. His feet seemed to be moving too slowly, and vaguely, he thought he could hear the musical tinkling of Lucretia's laughter in his ears.  _ Failed again, Valentine. Bonus points for effort, better luck next time,  _ his ghosts whispered in his ear maliciously.

Nanaki gained ground ahead of the gunman, his four legs enabling him to move over the rough terrain faster than his human companion. But it was still hardly enough forewarning for Vincent to stop his own momentum when the lion suddenly put his feet together and leaned backwards, skidding to a halt.

Vincent didn't even have time to register why Nanaki had stopped before Yuffie barrelled into him, sending them both rolling to the floor. "Yuffie?" he managed in surprise and more than a little relief as she crawled off of him.

"Get up, get UP!" she wheezed at her friends as she scrambled to her feet. "Movers! Move it or lose it!"

"Too late," came Nanaki's growl as the four deadly globes spun into view, pausing to take stock of their new opponents. "Why are there four?" came the lion's annoyed howl as he twisted to dodge one of the small creatures' attacks.

"I dunno, maybe they got social!" Yuffie screamed, diving as another one went for her head.

A shot rang out through the cavern, and then Vincent joined them in their game of dodgeball as he narrowly missing being decapitated by one of the angry attackers. "Only three now," he managed to tell them curtly.

This caused Yuffie to stop with her mad dodging and display a feral smile. "Gotcha! Three we can do, right Nanaki?" she yelled, readying the Oritsuru. The giant cat was already in motion, his roar echoing through the passage as the magic he tapped into exploded around them. The cavern was blanketed with numbing coldness, and massive chunks of ice exploded from the ground, trapping the three spinning Movers within. As the spell faded, the little balls wobbled haphazardly, their speed reduced by the force of the Freeze spell. Still, they were already forming a triangle around Yuffie, preparing to blast her with another collective spell attack.

Holding her weapon above herself and taking careful aim, Yuffie gave her friends one warning. "Duck!" And then she let it fly with all of the speed she could muster, flattening herself against the ground.

Vincent hit the floor, watching as the shuriken whirled through the air, completely missing their remaining three opponents.  _ Yuffie's aim is not normally this bad _ , he thought to himself as the weapon struck the wall over him and ricocheted off of it. The three tiny balls seemed to agree with his conclusion as their motion stopped and the stars of their cast filled the passage once more. The Oritsuru, however, did not stop, continuing its flight around the cavern to fly back towards the center, neatly slicing one of the creatures in two. The spell collapsed as abruptly as it had started, as the shuriken continued on its deadly path. It deflected twice more off of the walls and struck down their remaining opponents before Yuffie finally reached out and caught it.

"Oh yeah, score another one for Great Ninja Yuffie!" she yelled, twirling the Oritsuru around gracefully and striking a short victory pose on one leg. And then, "Ow!" as she lost her balance and fell over unceremoniously, rubbing at her injured calf.

Vincent made his way over to the girl as he holstered his gun, kneeling and offering her his good hand. "Are you okay, Yuffie?" he asked quietly as she spared his outstretched hand a debilitating glance.

"Why do you care?" she answered nastily, and then winced and quickly amended her tone. "Uh, I didn't mean that…" she mumbled, slipping her hand into his. He pulled her onto her feet quickly, unruffled by the cheap blow. "I did," he answered, holding her hand for just a moment longer than necessary before turning away.

Yuffie watched his retreating back guiltily, and then her face set with determination. "Hey, Vince, wait up a second!" she called after him, running up behind him and tugging on the edge of his cloak. He stopped and regarded her silently, and she shuffled a foot against the ground and put her arms behind her back. "It's just… well, you walkin' off all cold like that is how this mess got started in the first place, you know…" Watching his eyebrow raise fractionally, she winced and tried again. "Uh, maybe it wasn't your fault actually," she continued, feeling as though she was shrinking by the second under his unblinking gaze. "In-fact-maybe-it-was-kinda-my-fault," she finished quickly, pink rising over her face. Then she put her hands on her hips and squared her shoulders resolutely. "Now listen, I'm not saying that you didn't act like a big jerk last night," she grumbled defensively. "But I acted like a bigger one just now, and I'm sorry. So let's just forget about the whole thing and go back to being friends like before! Okay? Okay!" she said, the slight pink on her cheeks turning into cherry tomato red.

Vincent hid a slight smile behind the folds of his cloak as the temperamental ninja whirled and began to march back up the passage without giving him the chance to reply.  _ Yuffie Kisaragi apologized, to me of all people.  _ Sensing another presence behind him, he turned around and looked down at Nanaki, who was doing his best imitation of an ear-splitting grin.

"That wasn't so bad, was it?" the great beast rumbled in amusement as he trailed after Yuffie.

"HEY! Are you guys coming, or am I going to have to get a rope and drag you after me or what?" came Yuffie's shrill demand from ahead.

He held back for a moment, the fleeting smile dropping off of his face as another confused thought occurred to him.  _ No, it wasn't bad at all. _


	7. Encounter

"All right, let's rest here for now, guys," Yuffie said, shrugging off her knapsack and falling to her knees as she began to root through it. Nanaki seated himself nearby, and Vincent leaned against the wall, crossing his arms.

"Why'd we stop, Yuffie?" the lion offered first, resting his head on his paws.

Yuffie made a small noise and then pulled out her Conformer with a smile. This caused both of her companions to snap to attention, Vincent putting his hand his holster while Nanaki sat up quickly. "Oh, relax guys!" she said, waving her hand apologetically. "I just wanted to switch weapons," she explained, sorting through her materia as efficiently as ever.

Nanaki narrowed his one eye at the girl suspiciously. "Why, Yuffie? I for one would like to know what you're expecting that's going to require that," he said, giving a nod at the deadly circular blade she was handling.

Yuffie fidgeted nervously, taking longer than necessary to refold the Oritsuru. "Nanaki," she finally said, glancing up at her friend nervously. "We're almost there. We could come across them any minute now," she said softly.

The large cat's muscles bunched under his fur, and his tail froze completely, its flaming tip flaring up slightly. He blew out heavily through his nose, and then lowered his head with a sniff. "I'm ready for them," came his low growl. Then he looked back up at the girl. "But why the Conformer?"

Yuffie smiled slightly as she donned the pack and then strapped the blade to her arm. "'Cause no one messes with my friends," she told him. Then she scrabbled with her toe at the dirt before her. "I didn't know what they did, Red. I dunno, maybe I was too eager about it last time, I'm not sure…" She swallowed as she regarded the cat. "Well, better safe than sorry, right?" she finished nervously, her eyes growing moist.

Nanaki rose and approached her, pressing his nose against the palm of the girl's hand comfortingly. "No matter what happens here, Yuffie, I will always be thankful for what you've done." He purred slightly and allowed her to scratch behind his ears, taking comfort in the presence of his friends even as the seeds of nervousness planted themselves in his stomach.

A growl rumbled across the room, and the two broke apart into battle stances instantly, Vincent silently joining them from behind. The source was revealed as a flame flickered into view before the three, causing Nanaki to take one hesitant step backwards.

"I see the son of Seto is just as weak as his father," a voice snarled contemptuously from the shadows. Nanaki's fangs bared as the large cat stepped into view, the shaggy maroon mane and shock of red fur an intimately familiar sight. "Taking pleasure in the company of these disgusting humans," it growled, yellow eyes focused completely on Nanaki.

The huge lion gave the trio a toothy grin, its glare malicious as it circled them. "I am Borah, son of Nattak. Welcome to the domain of the Gi tribe," he snarled, his sharp fangs bared in a grin that didn't reach his cold, glinting eyes.

Nanaki bristled under the larger creature's provocation. His anger flared, and he stepped forward in challenge. "I am Nanaki, son of the great warrior Seto. Perhaps your memory fails you, but it is not my tribe that was driven from Cosmo Canyon!" he snarled back.

This caused the other cat's lop-sided grin to drop immediately as an ugly grimace came over his face. "Such insolence! I should slay you where you stand, traitor!" came Borah's reply.

"HEY! Excuse me! No one's going to be doing any slaying here today!" Yuffie cut in desperately. This only earned her another growl and a glare from Borah, but it brought Nanaki back to his senses, calming the pounding blood in his ears. He dropped his growl and lowered his head slightly, acknowledging the other lion's dominance in the territory.

"I was told your tribe wanted to meet me. Here I am." Nanaki could accept Borah's authority, but he didn't have to like it, and he made that clear from the disapproving growl under his reply.

Borah snorted, his eyes flashing and his claws extended. "I was curious," he said mildly, "to see if Seto's whelp would answer our challenge. At least you show more courage than your father, to come here and face certain death."

Nanaki's fangs bared once more. "Don't speak of my father!" he roared. His attack was halted by Yuffie, who stepped forward first. Her shuriken was in hand and her face was set in a deep scowl.

"How dare you!" she screeched, letting the weapon fly. Her aim was purposefully skewed, and Borah froze as the deadly circle whistled through the air, sending sparks flying as it struck the ground before his feet. It whirled around the room, bouncing off the walls and passing close to his head each time. When Yuffie did finally catch the Conformer, small tufts of the lion's mane decorated the ground by his paws.

"Human..." he hissed, his eyes narrowing as his muscles coiled to spring.

"You just shut up!" Yuffie yelled back at him. "Take it back, apologize to Nanaki! I know you don't mean it!" she said angrily. "You told me you wanted to see him. You told me your tribe was weakened, that you had no leader anymore! Why are you doing this?"

Nanaki glanced up at Yuffie, but the girl was vivid. There was no trace of deception in her words, and he turned to Borah, indignation rising as he addressed the other. "You are not the Speaker of the tribe!" he shot out accusingly. Borah's wuffle and lack of reply was answer enough, and Nanaki's tail flicked irritably. "Take me to your people before you bite off more than you can swallow, cub." The words were purposefully inflammatory to the older lion, who bristled and growled.

"Our reckoning will come, make no mistake of that, Nanaki." His eyes narrowed to slits and he turned, stalking off. He gave no indication of an invitation, but Nanaki trailed after the other lion, turning only slightly to tilt his head at his human companions.

The two humans stayed back, walking a respectable distance behind their feline friend. It was obvious that he wanted to be left alone. Yuffie leaned over, whispering quietly to the gunman. "There were more of them… and they weren't angry, I swear!"

Vincent bowed his head down and replied to her in a low voice. "They might have been trying to deceive you to lure Nanaki into a trap," he said quietly. "Be on your guard."

Yuffie gave him a nervous nod and let her fingers stray across her weapon. Doubt crossed her features, and she leaned in once more. "I don't think so, Vince. I mean, if they hated Nanaki that much, why not just go back to Cosmo and attack him there? Why move all the way out here?"

Borah turned, his yellow eyes blazing at the small entourage behind him as his ears twitched. "I can hear you, you filthy humans!" he growled. "Do you think we live in this pit of hell by choice?" He turned and continued to pad forward, his tail flaring brightly in the darkness. "The planet belongs to your race now. Your pathetic struggle against the cleansing power of meteor helped ensure that," he spat angrily. "There was no place for us left free of your peoples' taint other than here."

Vincent was the one who spoke up next, feeling a pang in his chest as he remembered the final battle. "You would have sided with Sephiroth?" he asked quietly. "You would have chosen to destroy the planet completely, rather than save what little we have left?"  _ Even I could not stand by the madness that was once my own flesh and blood.  _ "Are you truly so malicious?"

Borah sniffed, a smirk crossing his feline features as he turned his head and regarded the tall gunman. "You aren't like the others. You reek of death and chemicals, human." His tail swayed slightly as he turned forward once more. "You of all people should understand the depths of the depravity of your own race." He gave a loud snort. "You 'heroes' think you have saved the planet? You have only prolonged her suffering. Humans are greedy, they think of nothing but themselves in their quest to rape the planet of her bounty."

"You speak of greed as though our kind are above it," Nanaki cut in coldly. "Was it not the Gi who claimed the fertile valley of the canyon for their own? To drive out those who had settled there before our kind came?" He saw Borah's tail lash angrily in the darkness, and frowned as the creature gave no inclination of acknowledgement. "I know the history of our tribes, Borah. You can't twist the facts to suit your own interpretation," he growled.

"We would have won if Seto had not split the tribe!" the other growled angrily. "How he could side with those disgusting humans…"

"Those  _ disgusting humans _ are my friends, and you will address them with the respect they are due in my presence!" Nanaki said, coming to a halt as his good eye glowed fiercely. "Or has your tribe forgotten courtesy as well as honour?"

Borah turned, and the two glared at each other tensely for several moments. Finally, the older lion growled lowly and resumed his journey. "It would be unfitting to tear the flesh from your bones before the others had the opportunity to observe your corruption," he answered stonily. The rest of the journey was blanketed by strained silence.

… … …

The entrance to the large cavern that the remains of the Gi tribe were calling their new home was very similar to the cave of Materia Falls they had passed some weeks earlier. Mako and crystal gave off their eerie light in the depths of the earth, coating everything with the strange greenish glow. As they entered, lions scattered all about the cavern gathered around them, their yellow eyes wide and curious as they surrounded the small party.

Nanaki immediately noticed the strange glow emitting from the eyes of his brethren; like Yuffie, they too were slowly being affected by the high concentration of mako their bodies were absorbing from their surroundings. As he looked at some of the older ones, a dreaded realization struck him, causing him to curse having been unable to see it before. He felt grief rising in his breast as he regarded the creatures that were so once like his own proud people, their skin and muscles gaunt against their bony forms and their eyes glowing luminously in the darkness.

_ The mako exposure in the crater… it really is a poison. _ It was suddenly easy to see, looking upon its results in the older members of the Gi. The proportions of their bodies had begun to distend, limbs growing longer as their torsos shriveled away. The manes on more than a few of the males were thinning, and the fur on all but the young was clumping, sometimes falling off to reveal the pale flesh below. A few of the poor creatures bore more resemblance to the monsters of the crater than himself. His eye suddenly turned towards his two human companions, pale and silent in the pulsing green light.

Vincent always had a strange appearance from the first time Cloud's group had met him. Of course, Hojo's experimentation on the man occurred almost 30 years prior to their first meeting, and his blood-red eyes and unusually tall frame could have been as equally the result of human genetics as it was from Hojo's tests. But Yuffie had been a normal, sixteen-year-old girl at the start of her journey to the crater. Time had matured her features slightly, but her body remained uncannily youthful despite her increasing age. She was thin to a fault, and deceptively frail-looking. Yuffie herself had often joked that puberty passed her over while lamenting on the lack of feminine curves to her figure. Only her height had increased over the years, and as she stood there, her eyes glowing brightly against her overly pale skin, suddenly he could clearly see how the mako had stunted her aging and misshapen her body. It took a great amount of his self control not to roar at his two human companions to turn around and leave for the crater's surface in that very moment. But the remaining members of the Gi pressed around him, and Nanaki growled under his breath, trying to bury the sense of anxiety he suddenly felt under a mask of control. He forced his attention back on his people, feeling Borah's rueful gaze upon him.

"Look upon my people, Nanaki, son of Seto. Look what your tribe has done to the once proud clan of the Gi!" he snarled, settling himself among his kinsmen.

"The son of Seto is here!" the murmur went up through the crowd. More than a few fangs were bared at the small group in open hostility, while others regarded them with awe and perhaps even joy.

One of the older lionesses pushed forward, her fur ragged and grey and several of her teeth missing. She stood before Nanaki and lowered her head to the ground in a sign of deference. "Have you come to save us, son of Seto? Have you come finally to lead us from this dark place and into the Promised Land?" her voice quavered.

"Old hag!" Borah's voice rose in anger. "This traitor is no savior of ours! We should feast on his bones!" Several yowls of agreement rose behind him.

"You must forgive young Borah," the lioness said wearily, raising her rheumy eyes to meet Nanaki's own. "His father led our tribe to our ill-fated destruction in the battle for Cosmo Canyon," she quavered. "Accept this humble elder's apology for the misplaced pride of our youth." More angry snarls followed her statement, but the discontent was spread equally among those who remained respectfully silent. It was clear that the tribe was painfully divided.

Still, the elder cat's words touched Nanaki's heart, and he lowered his forehead to her deferentially. "Grandma," he said to her carefully. "Please tell me your name."

The elderly lioness looked up, her cloudy eyes still retaining a touch of gold, even in the sickly green light. "I am Bashiya, mate of Nattak, mother to Borah." She bumped her head against Nanaki's own in acceptance of his gesture, and he stared at the old cat in surprise.

"Elder Bashiya," Nanaki echoed respectfully, his good eye regarding her curiously. "Are you the Speaker for the tribe?"

The old female sat back slowly, pain etching her face as she eased herself into a sitting position. "That I am, young Nanaki. Tell your friends to be seated, we will provide for their comfort." Her voice rose slightly, an edge of steel biting beneath the frail quaver as she addressed him as well as the rest of the tribe. "No harm shall come to the humans while they are here." A loud snort was heard from Borah, drawing his mother's attention instantly. "You question my judgement?" she snarled at him. The other cat regarded her sullenly before turning and stalking away. The tension passed, and Nanaki nodded at Vincent and Yuffie, who allowed themselves to be led away.

Turning to Nanaki, she sighed wearily and nodded her head at the rocks by her side. "Seat yourself as well, young cub," she rumbled at him. Feeling oddly self-conscious, Nanaki padded to her side and did as he was told. "Great warrior Nanaki, you follow your father's path more closely than you know," she told him as the other lions around them dispersed through the cavern. "He too allied himself with the humans, and worked to protect and save them. Your mother and he stood against the tribe, and prevailed," she said quietly. "Just as you stood alone against the falling star, and prevailed. Your line is strong."

Nanaki shook his head vigorously. "No, not alone, elder. My companions helped me, just like the humans of the canyon helped my father and mother. My strength is only as great as my friends," he told her.

The old cat regarded him wearily, her tail flicking against the rock in a slow, rhythmic pattern. Finally she let out a hoarse bark, something similar to a dry chuckle. "Truth," she relented. "One that has taken my tribe many years of hardship to learn. One that some still have not realized," she mumbled, before descending into a fit of coughs.

"Elder Bashiya!" Nanaki said worriedly, his ears swiveling forward with concern. After some moments, the coughs subsided, but the older cat looked weary and aged as she laid her head against the rocks.

"I am old, son of Seto, and I am dying," she told him when she had recovered her breath. "There is none to take leadership of the tribe, none but Borah, and he is filled with anger and hatred." She turned her eyes to Nanaki, a plea within them. "You must save them, son of Seto. I fear if you do not lead them from this place, Borah will only finish what his father started so long ago." She let out a heavy sigh. "My people are dying. You have defeated Meteor. You know the world of man. You must lead them from this cursed place and give them hope."

Nanaki shivered as he heard the older lioness's words descend. "I—" he began, and closed his mouth.  _ I don't want to do this. I don't want to lead your people. You murdered my family! Where is my justice? Where is my peace?  _ The anger he felt sapped away as suddenly as it came, as he regarded the weary lioness and the tattered remains of her pride. The creatures in the crater held no resemblance to the stories of the proud warrior Gi that Bugenhagen had relayed. These beings were bent, defeated, only a shadow of their former selves. The yoke of responsibility seemed heavier than ever. He shook his head. "What if your people won't have me?" he said quietly. "Borah is your son. It should be him."

Bashiya growled, but it was empty, without energy or malice. "Under Borah's leadership, we will waste away here, hiding from the world of man in these caverns. He will drive my people to hate, to fight, until we forget the taste of air and the feel of sunlight upon our fur. The youngest of our tribe have never known the gaze of the stars in the heavens above. They know only of the cold of rock and the light of mako." She let another sigh escape, her tail swishing disconsolately against the rock. "I was once as Borah was, filled with hate for the humans and a desire to avenge my mate. I was willing to lead my people to this world and forsake the one above. It was wrong, and now even my son pays the price for my decision." She trained her eyes on Nanaki. "I have seen it in your gaze. You know of what will happen if we remain here. We will become no better than the beasts whose flesh we hunt to feed upon. You must save us, son of Seto. You must!" Her last words were a fierce plea, and her eyes glowed brightly in the darkness, the fire in her spirit rekindling once more briefly as she focused the intensity of her desperation on Nanaki.

_ Father… I'm sorry _ , Nanaki thought, his head drooping sadly. Gathering his courage, he looked up and returned Bashiya's gaze. "I'll do as you ask," he told her.

… … …

Yuffie rubbed her hands against her arms nervously as they waited for Nanaki to return. She scooted closer to Vincent almost unconsciously, the stares from the many lions surrounding them unnerving her. The majority of the feline crowd keeping their eyes on the two humans were the younger members of the pride. One of them, a tiny cub that Yuffie swore was the size of one of Godo's old slippers, crept forward bravely, puffing its chest out.

"Rrrwwoor!" it said to her self-importantly, baring its cute fangs. Yuffie stared, and looked incredulously at Vincent for support. He shrugged back at her, as expressionless as ever.

"Rrwowwwwwor!" the creature wailed again, looking upset.

The ninja fidgeted nervously. "Umm… that's a great roar," she said to the cub helpfully. Its ears perked up instantly and it crept forward towards her feet.

"Really?" it said, its golden eyes dancing in the mako light. "'Cause I've been practicing it for a while now. Borah says humans are evil!" The cub shuffled his paws nervously. "You don't look so scary to me," he told Yuffie, glaring up at her with all the courage he could muster.

"Hey!" Yuffie yelled, looking upset. "Humans aren't evil!" The cub dashed back suddenly, her outburst causing his courage to flee almost as fast as his tiny paws. Yuffie suddenly felt like a huge, horrible ogre. "Wait, come back!" she called contritely. "Uh… that was a really scary roar you had. I was scared. Weren't you scared, Vince?" she said, shooting him a demanding glance.

Vincent sighed and shifted slightly. "Petrified."

"See! You even managed to scare Vincent, and he's, like, made of stone! So why don't you come back and show it to us again?" Yuffie said to the small kit encouragingly, who peered at her with wide eyes.

"Rrrwwoor!" the cub yelled, running forward once more, this time followed by a few of his braver, if still tiny, companions. "I'm Kikacha!" the cub mewled tremulously, looking up at Yuffie.

She flashed the tiny thing a huge grin, suddenly overcome by its cuteness. "Kikacha! What an adorable name! I'm Yuffie, and I already told you Vince's name here!" she said, thumbing over her shoulder at her silent companion.

"Hello Yuffie and Vince!" the cub mimicked, making Vincent wince slightly. The nickname was bad enough coming from Yuffie, now it seemed catching. Kikacha turned back towards his companions, the tiny flame on his tail spurting proudly as he held it straight up in the air like a flag. "The humans told me their names!" he called to his friends. "They're scared of me!" He turned around and looked at Yuffie, his brows lowering over his glowing yellow eyes suspiciously. "You are scared of me, right, human?"

The ninja stuck her lower lip out petulantly, and Vincent refrained from commenting that she looked strikingly similar to the little kit before her. "Listen, Kikacha. I promise to be afraid of you if you stop calling me 'human' and use our names instead."

The cub seemed to consider this, and then nodded in agreement. "Okay, Yuffie. Rrwwoor!" he told her.

She screeched dramatically and latched on to Vincent's arm for effect. "Scary!" she cried, widening her eyes comically as Vincent glanced down at his arm. "Yuffie…" he began, but looked up again when her grip tightened fractionally. Then he let out a groan.

Behind Kikacha a large group of cubs had crawled out, each baring their teeth cautiously at the two humans. "I'll protect you from Yuffie and Vince!" Kikacha growled at them, swishing his tail eagerly. And then the cubs swarmed forward, yowling and yelping and nipping at his shoes and pawing at the ends of his cloak.

"I've never seen a human before!"

"Is that his mane?"

"No, stupid, it's Cloh-thing! Bashiya told me humans use it 'cause they don't have fur!"

"But it's long and red like Borah's mane!"

"It's Cloh-thing! I bet you could bite it off and it wouldn't hurt him."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah!"

He felt a weight latch onto his cloak, and then there was the sound of a large rip. Yuffie stifled a giggle as the cubs exploded into a new argument around the piece of red fabric they had liberated from the already-tattered cloth. "Hey mister, did that hurt?" Kikacha yowled at him.

"More than you could imagine," he replied tonelessly, glaring down at the kits surrounding him. They immediately parted like a wave, but not before dragging their "prize," the ill-fated strip of cloak, along with them for further study. The sound of Yuffie's laughter bubbling out made him turn and raise an irritated eyebrow at her. "I'm glad at least one of us is taking pleasure in my discomfort," he grumbled to her.

"Oh come on, Vince, even you had to admit they were cute!" she giggled, resting her head against his shoulder.

"They were not cute."

She leaned away from him and released his arm, a mild scowl coming across her face. "Vincent Valentine, I know you're not made out of ice. Now come on, you can't seriously tell me you didn't think they were adorable!"

Vincent eyed the perky ninja warily. Finally, he gave in, knowing that she wouldn't be satisfied until he had provided her with some sort of answer. "I do not always find the same things that you do to be appealing," he told her quietly.

"Grouch. What do you find appealing anyway?" she huffed, crossing her arms.

Vincent leaned back, considering her question seriously. "Peace. Solitude. Silence. Things which calm me. Children of any race do not."

Yuffie's face fell with each description, and she looked at her shoes and kicked at the ground before her dejectedly. "Oh… I see," she finally said quietly. Vincent raised an eyebrow and spared her a glance, wondering at her sudden change in mood. She noticed and gave him a wane smile. "I was just thinkin', you know, you were probably right. We'd never work out together. Was a crazy idea anyway," she said, turning her gaze back to the top of her sneakers. "Sometimes you just gotta ignore me, I get lots of crazy ideas all the time down here. Probably all the mako," she said, trying to sound cheerful as usual.

Vincent felt something in his chest tighten as he observed the girl's behaviour, as if he had somehow insulted her. He suddenly felt a need to correct his statement. "I was speaking of the cubs, Yuffie."

She sniffed and shot him an overly bright glance. "Geez, Vince, it's okay, you don't have to try and make me feel better. I'm… I'm a little messed up in the head sometimes, okay? 'Specially when it comes to other people. It's kinda hard for me to get close, and I don't take rejection too well." She laughed loudly, running her hand over rough ends of her short hair nervously. "I guess you figured that out, huh?"

Vincent stared down at her, the words sounding too familiar. What would happen if he stripped away the youthful cheer from Yuffie's words? A mirror, she was telling him. A mirror to his own dark and lonely soul. His claw snaked out and gently grasped her chin, turning her face towards him, forcing her eyes to meet his own.

Yuffie's blush at the cool touch of his fingers died down as she met his eyes. What she saw there wasn't rejection, or, as some part of her had secretly hoped, a wild and reckless admission of passion. No, what she saw made the tears she had been holding back pool in the bottom of her eyes and come spilling out, one after the other, smiles and cheers forgotten as they regarded one another. What she saw was understanding.

Vincent held her chin a moment longer, and then silently pulled Yuffie into his arms. She gripped him tightly as if he might disappear if she let go, and words escaped her for once. "Don't leave me," she managed to choke out messily, her voice muffled against the fabric of his shirt. "I don't care if you can't stand me, just don't leave! I don't wanna be alone anymore!"

He sighed and ran his claw through her hair gently, his hand tracing comforting circles on the small of her back. "I won't leave you, Yuffie," he whispered quietly, resting his chin on her head. "It'll be okay." And for once, he didn't feel awkward or uncomfortable with the nearness of her presence.  _ Vincent Valentine, comforting another human being. I always knew hell was near Icicle Town. _

Some time after her sobs had quieted, Yuffie disengaged herself from Vincent's arms, the hints of a blush beginning on her face as modesty, or at least the Kisaragi version of it, found its way back into her sensibilities. "S-sorry, Vince," she hiccuped, her eyes bright and grateful as she smiled weakly at him. She swiped at them with the back of her hands and looked around the cavern. "How do you think Nanaki's doing?" she asked, worry causing the corners of her mouth to turn down. It bothered Vincent to see the normally cheerful ninja robbed of her usual exuberance, even if it was only a shield.

"Please smile." Vincent mentally kicked himself as the words escaped his lips and Yuffie's eyes grew wide. "What?!" she yelled, and he reached almost frantically for an explanation. "I am sure Nanaki is going through a very difficult situation. We… would not want to add to his worries with our own right now." Yuffie was still eyeing him skeptically, a suspicious glint blooming in her eyes.

"By not smiling," she finished for him. Vincent nodded mutely, finding the moment opportune to readjust his cloak from where the cubs had yanked it down from his face. Yuffie smirked at him, a hint of mischief dancing in her eyes. "Sure, Vince. I'll smile, you pull that cloak back up, and everything'll be fine," she joked, causing him to blanch. This made her laugh, and she reached for his human hand and squeezed it lightly. "Better get those emotions back under control or Nanaki really will know something's up," she scolded him gently, her eyes softening.

The sound of soft footfalls made them draw away from each other quickly, but much to Yuffie's disappointment, it was not Nanaki who pulled around the corner. Borah's scowling visage greeted them, and in his mouth he held a bloody chunk of meat. He spat the dripping mass out at their feet, and gave them an evil grin. "Enjoy the hospitality of the Gi, humans. Your meal." His tale swished maliciously as he stalked away.

Vincent looked down at the unidentifiable lump of flesh in disgust, kicking it away with the toe of his boot. "Don't look at it, Yuffie," he told her, still feeling protective of the fragile girl.

"Eww, raw dragon," she moaned, glaring at the spotted lump of flesh annoyedly. "You'd think they could at least cook it first or something! But that reminds me, I'm starved," she said, reaching into her pack and pulling out some dried jerky. Vincent stared at her as she bit into it voraciously, little bits of jerky dribbling down her chin. She caught his incredulous look and balked, swallowing. "Uh, sorry Vince! You want some too?"


	8. Communication

Nanaki wandered through the cavern, watching the other lions cautiously. A few approached him as Bashiya had, eagerly exchanging greetings, or even staring at him openly with hope, longing, and sometimes envy. Many others, however, refused to meet his gaze, and as he tried to approach them, they would bare their fangs in warning, or worse, turn away and ignore him completely.

He padded through the large cavern dejectedly, no ideas on how to win the confidence of the divided clan forthcoming. It was looking hopeless, and the lion was ready to give up and return to the surface. A tumultuous squabble caught his attention. Making his way over to the noise, he found a small pack of young cubs playing with a familiar-looking strip of red cloth.

"What do you have there?" he asked, his voice booming over the excited argument of the children. They instantly rolled off of each other and stood at attention guiltily, eyeing Nanaki with mixed expressions of awe and intimidation. He felt a rumbling chuckle rising on his chest and brought his good eye down for a closer inspection of the leader of the pack, a spirited young kit with the strip of cloth hanging down from his tiny mouth. "What is your name, cub?" he said authoritatively.

"Mimacma, mir!" it answered, sitting ramrod-straight. Nanaki raised one eyebrow and sniffed at the cloth, which the cub guiltily dropped out of its mouth.

"That looks like it belongs to one of my friends, 'Mimacma'," he grumbled. "How did you come by it?"

"It was a dare, sir! Jaxx thought it was part of Vince's mane, and I wanted to show him he was wrong." The cub's tail wagged against the cavern floor, flickering slightly as his face set into a sullen sulk.

Nanaki bit back his chuckle and did his best to look intimidating in the face of the young cub.  _ So familiar, _ he thought to himself as the kit bristled with pride.  _ Was that not me just a few decades ago? _ He focused his stern glare on the cub. "That is not a part of Vincent's 'mane'," he corrected the children. "Human males do not grow manes as we do. In fact it is their women who usually wear their hair long. It grows from the top of their heads in many different colours."

"But Yuffie doesn't have long hair! Does that mean she's a boy?" Kikacha asked excitedly, processing the new information eagerly.

Nanaki rumbled slightly, his eye closing in amusement. "Yuffie is… an exception to the rules," he said.

"But Vince has long black stuff coming out of his head. Does that mean he's a girl?"

Nanaki felt his ears droop. "No, Vincent is not a woman, cub."

"So that black stuff isn't hair?"

Nanaki's tail twitched convulsively.  _ I had forgotten how curious the young could be, _ he thought, his patience stretching slightly. "All humans look different from each other," Nanaki corrected the cub gently. "I have found there is no single rule you can rely on to judge them."

The cub mewled in disappointment, his ears drooping. "Aww! But how can we learn which humans to hunt if we can't tell them apart?" he grumbled. This caught Nanaki's attention immediately as his ears swiveled forward.

"Why are you planning to fight the humans, child?" he growled. "Have you ever even met one before today?" The cub sniffed and tucked his legs together, making him seem even smaller, and Nanaki tempered his stern lecture in pity. "Now that you have met my companions, do you still want to hunt and kill other humans?" he asked the cub gently.

This caused Kikacha to look confused. "I don't know. Yuffie and Vince don't seem that bad… for humans," he added, growling. "But Borah says humans are evil, and that we should hate them all. Borah's a mighty warrior, he's gonna lead us some day," the cub said stubbornly.

"The child is correct. Come, Kikacha, take your friends and run along. I have business to discuss with our… guest," came a low growl as Borah stepped into view. The cub and his band of friends took the opportunity to scamper away as the two warriors faced each other down with furious glares. "You shouldn't fill their heads with your trash, outsider," Borah snarled. "It will make them weak and vulnerable."

Nanaki's hackles bristled as he regarded the lion who circled him. "You have nothing but hatred inside, don't you, Borah?" he growled. "Why can't you accept the humans and live in peace? Can't you see that your clan is dying? Your children are small, your warriors weak, and your females unfertile! Is this your wish for the last of our kind? To die in this place having known only the taste of hatred?!"

Borah snarled, pacing around Nanaki viciously. "You are soft, son of Seto. You dwell aboveground with the humans, growing fat on their food and complacent with their attentions. You are no warrior, and you are certainly no savior of our people, no matter what my senile mother might claim." He gnashed his teeth together nastily, a grin spreading across his long muzzle. "Soon she will die, and I will rule here. You and your friends should pray to your gods that you are beyond the reaches of this cave before that happens, for  **_I_ ** will show you no mercy."

"She is your mother! Your own flesh and blood!" Nanaki snarled back, offended on the elder lioness' behalf. "Is you hatred so deep that you'd forsake your own kin?" As he regarded the prowling cat, Nanaki came to a realization.

Borah was the one who stood in his way. Borah was the only one who had the power to unite the members of the clan. Nanaki's task did not lie in convincing the others to accept his leadership, but to change Borah's opinion of both himself and the world above. The other lion circled him, radiating hostility, and Nanaki knew in his heart that he would only be able to accomplish his task through bloodshed.

"We have played at this game long enough," Borah rumbled. "We fight, now, traitor!" Snarling, he flung himself at Nanaki, his claws extended. The two cats went tumbling over the rough floor of the cave, and suddenly the area was alive with golden eyes, all attention locked on the two combatants as a circle formed around them.

Nanaki growled, pushing the larger cat off of himself and springing to his feet. "Borah! Stop this madness!" he snarled, pacing the perimeter of the circle warily.

The other cat barked out a short laugh, his eyes narrowing as they blazed with hatred. "So you are a coward after all, son of Seto! But you are not in the soft world of the humans now," he sneered. "You will know pain!" He leapt towards Nanaki once more, his fangs sharp and ready.

Nanaki felt his blood rising. Here was the battle before him, the chance to avenge his mother and father. He had tried to prevent it, hadn't he? All that was left was to defend himself. Anger surged through his chest, and he met Borah's attack, his own powerful jaws snapping and tearing at the other lion. They broke off their onslaught, panting and trying to gauge each other's weaknesses.

Borah had the advantage of age, his body being larger and stronger than Nanaki's. But moreover, the fuel of hatred drove his attacks with a desperate, wild edge. As they flew together once more, Nanaki felt his shoulder explode in pain as Borah rushed his blind side. Though the other cat had strength, Nanaki was quicker, and he managed to twist and snap his jaws viciously, tearing away some of Borah's fur with his unexpected attack before the other lion could latch onto his throat.

_ It is like before, when I was young. _ Nanaki remembered the terror of the battle, the pain of his phantom eye suddenly flaring up once more as he saw his mother, fighting against the invaders in the canyon. She had been torn and bleeding, but still she stood her ground, a mother's fierce protection giving her the strength to remain standing until the battle was finished. But it wasn't the moment of her death that Nanaki remembered most clearly; it was the battle itself, when she had fought so fiercely against the Gi, her own kin, to save him.  _ Why are we still fighting each other? _

The two lions broke apart once more, each suffering from newly inflicted wounds. Murmurs rippled through the clan as the fight progressed; though both were capable warriors, it was beginning to seem as though the legends surrounding the hero of Cosmo Canyon were exaggerated. Nanaki was faring the worse, his face and body bleeding heavily from the slashes left by Borah's claws.

"You are weak," Borah grinned, his tongue lolling out of his mouth. "Without the help of your human companions, you are nothing more than a toothless child, incapable of even defending yourself! You cannot save our people. You cannot save yourself!" He threw his head back and howled his laughter, the murmurs from the clan turning into low, dangerous growls as the circle closed around them, predators who sensed weakness in their midst.

A snarl rippled from Nanaki's throat, and the murderous gleam in the eyes of the spectators died down. He glared at Borah with his one eye.  _ Mother, I haven't forgotten your sacrifice. I am no longer the same helpless cub as before! _ Borah might have been physically stronger than his opponent, but Nanaki had one important advantage. He had the benefit of experience. It was Borah's mistake to assume that the great warrior of Cosmo Canyon, who had helped save the world from Sephiroth's final onslaught, was weak; a lesson that Borah learned too late as a dull red glow began to radiate off of the younger lion's brightly glowing body.

"I am Nanaki, warrior of Cosmo Canyon!" his voice boomed out, echoing through the cavern's halls. "Know my strength!" Fire exploded from the lion's body as he crashed into the larger cat with the combined power and fury of his ancestors. Borah was thrown clear out of the battle circle, his body slamming into a materia wall. The entire cavern shook from the force of the impact, sending shards of crystal tinkling to the ground like rainfall.

A hush fell over the tribe as they parted to allow Nanaki passage to the fallen lion. Borah stirred slightly, forcing his eyes open to regard the one-eyed warrior who stood over him, tall and proud. "You and your humans have won," he snarled, his anger overtaking him despite his injuries. "The clan is broken, the glorious days of the Gi are over forever. Finish it!"

Nanaki dropped his head and closed his good eye.  _ Shall I avenge you, father?  _ he asked himself silently. The clan stood by and watched silently, awaiting his decision. Finally, he sighed, and opened his eye to regard Borah's broken form. "There has been too much death between us already," he said as he tapped into the healing power of his materia.

Borah's roar echoed through the cavern even as the magic knitted his bones together and sealed his wounds. "You would dare! You are so depraved that you would deny me even death?" he screamed in frustration.

Nanaki sat back, the spell having finished its work, and allowed the other cat to rise. "Why do you hate us so much, Borah? There's room enough in the Canyon for both the tribe and the humans." He flicked his tail at the others surrounding them. "Surely you can see there is more to life than this. The cubs are still young enough to learn the scent of the wind and the feel of grass. Would you take that from them?"

Borah trembled in fury, venom dripping from his eyes. "There can be no peace until there is blood!" he snarled.

_ Only this would heal these people? _ Nanaki turned his head, studying the gaunt forms of the lions around them. He saw Kikacha's tiny head among them, the small cub's ears pointed forward as his large, terrified eyes watched them.  _ Father… Bugenhagen… I'm sorry. I must protect these people, even if I don't understand them. _ He bowed his head to Borah, the unexpected gesture of respect and submission drawing murmurs from those around. "Swear you'll leave this place. Swear you'll allow the two humans safe passage to the surface. I'll give you what you want, if you swear this on the honour of the tribe."

The other cat regarded Nanaki incredulously. "You best me in combat, and now you offer me your throat?" Borah growled in confusion. "Why do you not just kill me and take the clan yourself? Is that not what my mother wanted?"

Nanaki shook his head slightly as he fixed his golden eye on the older cat. "Your mother asked me to save the tribe." He blinked, a rueful grin crossing his feline features. "You're right, you know. I am an outsider. I find myself more familiar with the customs and behaviours of my human companions than my own kind. I know nothing of your ways, and I couldn't lead your people to a new life. Only you could do that, Borah." He closed his eye, regret creeping into his voice. "I came here to find others like myself," he said quietly. "But I've learned only one thing here. Even if I were to strike you down, and become the Speaker…" He opened his eye and looked at Borah squarely. "I would still be alone. I can only do as your mother asked."

Borah regarded him silently, his eyes tiny slits. "But why?" he rumbled. "You owe us no allegiance. Do not give me some tale of honour and promises, either, whelp. I want the truth."

Nanaki drew himself up proudly, wrapping his tail around his feet. "I am Nanaki, son of Seto. I protect this planet, and all who dwell on it!" he growled. "Even you, Borah." He turned around and regarded the other lions. "Even the Gi. So give me your oath, on the honour of the tribe, and I will protect you."

The silence seemed to stretch on endlessly to Nanaki as he waited for Borah's answer. Finally, there was a snort. "Useless," he snarled, stalking past Nanaki. "Speaking with you is useless. You think like the humans."

Nanaki watched the other retreat, and called out loudly after him. "That I do, Borah. Do you understand now?"

The other cat paused, his tail twitching slightly, and then continued forward without turning. His words floated to Nanaki's ears as he stalked out of sight. "You and your friends can stay, son of Seto. We'll consider your offer."

Nanaki grinned slightly as the crowd dispersed, the thoughtful murmurs among the people growing louder.  _ The battle is won. _

… … …

"Nanaki!" Yuffie exclaimed as he entered the alcove where she and Vincent had been waiting. "What the hell just happened?" she wailed. "We heard you roaring and then the cavern shook and these big ugly guard-cats wouldn't let us leave and I was gonna get my Conformer out and start busting heads except Vincent stopped me and said it was something you had to do alone and I almost busted his head too when he said that and then everything got real quiet and I was so worried!" she let out in a rush, wrapping her arms around the lion's neck and burying her face in his mane.

Nanaki nuzzled Yuffie's head amusedly, and directed his eye at Vincent. "Thank you for understanding," he rumbled at the gunman, who only gave the barest hint of a nod in acknowledgement.

"Understanding? I don't understand anything!" came Yuffie's muffled reply as she finally looked up and stopped sniffling. "What's going on?" she demanded, tapping into her materia to heal his wounds.

Nanaki allowed himself a smug look and bumped his nose against Yuffie's outstretched hand thankfully. "Never mind, Yuffie. Just forget about it." He gave her a lopsided grin as her face scrunched into a resentful pout, but it faded as he remembered his earlier concerns. "Yuffie, we need to talk."

"#§!§'?# straight we need to talk!" she swore at him, opening her mouth to begin a lecture.

"About you," Nanaki amended quickly, his brow lowering. "Have you observed the tribe?"

"Well, duh, they're kinda surrounding us, Red. What's that got to do with me?" she asked, rocking back on her heels curiously.

"I don't know how long they have been living in the crater, Yuffie, but I suspect it's been a little more than just two years," he told her pointedly. She remained stubbornly silent, and he let out a sigh. "The mako poisoning, Yuffie. You must have seen what it's done to them."

Yuffie's fingers twitched spasmodically, and she didn't meet the lion's gaze. "Maybe they're just malnutritioned, y'know? Borah tried to get us to eat raw dragon earlier. It smelled so gross, it's no wonder they don't eat anything down here," she joked.

"Yuffie!" Nanaki's growl cut angrily. "The mako poisoning is doing more than kill them. It's transforming them into monsters. Look at yourself, Yuffie. You have the same symptoms!"

The girl shied away from him, her eyes shining brightly. "Stop it, Nanaki!" she yelled at him, her voice quavering. "I've always been skinny. I'm just a late bloomer!" She stood up quickly and turned away, but was stopped by a solid wall. Vincent's arms wrapped around her, preventing her escape. "It's not that bad," she yelled, trying to twist out of his grasp. "Just a little bit of glowing eyes. It's not that bad yet!" she gasped, even as her legs gave way underneath her. "I'm not turning into a monster, I'm not, I'm not!" she shrieked.

Vincent lowered her to the ground carefully, and Nanaki bumped his head under her chin comfortingly. "Yuffie, calm down," he told her soothingly as she wheezed and gasped, panic dilating the pupils of her eyes. "You haven't been exposed to as much as some of the others. There's still time," he purred comfortingly, licking at her face.

"I-I knew it was…" she whispered, pulling her knees into chest and dropping her head on them. "I mean, when I started understanding… they still want to kill me, you know, they hate each other, too, but…" The ninja let out a exclamation of frustration and annoyance, breathing deeply to try and bring herself back under control. "I think somewhere deep down I knew it," she finally admitted, resting her forehead against her knees. "I mean, I can't eat Tonberrys anymore, I just can't," she whimpered. "Oh gawd, I can't believe I didn't see it before!" she moaned, her face paler than usual. "Oh gawd, oh gawd, am I gonna grow spider legs and wings and eyes on the back of my head?" she babbled, shutting her eyes tightly and shaking uncontrollably.

A metal claw descended on her shoulder, and words of comfort came unexpectedly. "Then I would still be in good company," Vincent told her, his face as stoic as ever, but his eyes expressive and understanding.  _ I will stay with you no matter what happens, _ he promised silently.

A blush rushed to Yuffie's face, and she returned his look with a tiny smile, suddenly feeling immensely relieved. "Thanks, Vincent," she mumbled, seeking out his human hand and squeezing it tightly.

Nanaki observed their actions and swished his tail curiously.  _ Vincent and Yuffie? _ His intelligent feline brain quickly sized up the two.  _ Vincent. Tall, brooding, serious. Yuffie. Short, loud, playful. Annoyingly playful. _ The rational part of his mind quickly discarded the idea as ludicrous and scrabbled for another explanation. "Did something happen between you two while I was gone?" he rumbled.

Yuffie glared at him as though she could see his thoughts leaking out from his ears. "Never mind, Nanaki, just forget about it," she smirked, mimicking his tone and sticking her tongue out.

He looked to the gunman for a clue, but Vincent was as cold and impassive as ever, his face revealing nothing. Even if he was sitting next to Yuffie. With his claw on her shoulder. And holding her hand. The large cat felt a distinct case of information overload and gave up. "Never mind. I'm tired," he grumbled, curling up into a tight ball on the floor and closing his eye to get some sleep.

… … …

To say that the three former AVALANCHE members were becoming welcome additions to the Gi tribe would have been a mistake. But in the weeks that followed Nanaki's fight, progress had been made; only a few stubborn individuals within the pride still viewed the humans as their enemies. Most had given themselves into weary resignation and acceptance, which wasn't truly optimistic, but it was better than the anger and hatred that had boiled through the clan before. But there were a few, mostly scattered among the very elderly and the youngest cubs, that looked to the clan's upcoming exodus with hope and eagerness, willing and ready to return to the planet's surface and come to know their two-legged neighbors more intimately.

Bashiya had passed the burden of leadership onto her son. Her surprise at his grudging change of heart had been apparent, and despite her feeble limbs and milky eyes, she had stood before Borah and the rest of the Gi and declared him to be the new Speaker with the glowing pride of a mother as well as a leader. After the ceremony of passing, Nanaki sought her out. The elderly lioness, however, declined his invitation to join the return to the world above.

"I am old and tired, son of Seto," she rumbled, resting wearily on her perch of stone. "There are many here like me, too feeble to make the journey, or too full of poison." Nanaki knew she wasn't referring only to the more mutated members of the tribe, but also those who were still filled with too much rancor to accept even Borah's sullen orders. "Someone must care for the twilight hours of our people, and my sins are great," she purred, her whitish eyes reflecting the eerie green of the mako light. "My place is here." The great lion had bowed his head respectfully, then, heaviness weighing down his heart.  _ In another world and another time, you could have been my mother as well, _ he thought sadly.

The time for the move came, and Yuffie, Vincent and Nanaki found themselves busier than ever, their skills desperately needed to manage and protect their feline wards through the dangerous path back to the surface. The trio barely had time to exchange brief words of greeting with each other each morning before inevitably being called off to oversee yet another hitch or problem in the large group's progression. With so many of them on the move, they drew the attention of the monsters within the caverns, who attacked relentlessly.

"I think it is a final test of the planet," Borah had confessed to Nanaki after one particularly vicious battle. "We came to her willingly and now she will not let us go." Nanaki had focused his good eye on the older cat, his golden gaze piercing. "Then you must be reborn," he answered, and the other lion remained silent for a long time afterwards.

Vincent was given charge of caring for the elderly lions, his sharp eye and quick hand often providing them with the advantage their bodies could no longer give them over the crater's monsters. The pride had come to understand that Vincent was not a normal human, and his competence as a protector and silent demeanor earned him grudging respect even from those who had lived through the battle with Cosmo Canyon's humans more than 50 years earlier. It was a position Vincent was finding himself increasingly uncomfortable holding. He didn't deny the eagerness with which he threw himself into the task, finding the irony of using his skills to save lives to be to his liking. But seeing Nanaki remain on the fringe of the clan's tolerance while he was fast becoming accepted as their guardian bothered him.

He took the time to approach Nanaki on the evening that they reached the cavern of Materia Falls. "I apologize," he said to his friend as they held watch together, contemplating the lilting song of the materia. "It shouldn't be me they look to for protection."

Nanaki swiveled his ear slightly, his eye roaming over the many sleeping forms that lay before them. "That isn't important, Vincent," the cat responded after some time. "Take friendship and acceptance when it's offered to you. It's a precious thing that we're lucky to have at all," he rumbled contemplatively.

Vincent regarded his feline companion. "You're getting as wise as Bugenhagen, Nanaki. I think now I was fortunate," he trailed off.

Nanaki turned to him, sniffing curiously. "Oh? What do you mean?"

Vincent pulled down the lip of his cloak, revealing the contours of his face. It was an action that had become almost instinctive during his time spent in the crater. The gunman found himself questioning more and more why he had chosen such a restrictive article of clothing; the once-comforting shadows of the garment's rim were now only getting in his way. "I was not planning on spending time with you or Yuffie. I only wanted to see the old man," he said. He glanced down at his four-legged companion, a small hint of appreciation in his otherwise expressionless eyes. "Fortunate, that we don't always receive the things we want."

Nanaki purred agreeably to his companion. His eyes sought out Yuffie, who was sleeping soundly amidst an unruly pile of cubs. The ninja had been put in charge of overseeing the youngest members of the group, and naturally, the brave little Kikacha had declared himself to be Yuffie's protector. It could be said that she had the easiest time of the three of them, as the curiosity of the tribe's youth was still too fresh and innocent to be tainted with an innate mistrust of humans. But she also had the hardest time in quite another regard, running herself ragged trying to keep the mewling, squabbling mess of cubs around her in some semblance of order and safety. Nanaki chuckled slightly, remembering Yuffie's approach earlier that evening, her hair disheveled and her eyelids drooping from exhaustion.

"I swear, Red, I am NEVER having kids," she moaned to him.

"Hey Yuffie! Get back here, it's not safe over there! I gotta protect you!" a furious yowl had called out from behind her as she cringed and rolled her eyes.

"Nanaki!" she pleaded, her eyes displaying her sheer terror. "Help me!" she hissed as the insistent cub dug his teeth into her sock and began to pull determinedly.

"So it's true!" he laughed at her, "revenge IS a dish best served cold!" Yuffie had then taught him AND the cubs several interesting new curses that even Cid had never uttered before, something that it had taken her all evening to explain to a furious Borah. Now she slept soundly with the others, thoroughly exhausted from their journey.

"Not always fortunate," the lion said to the gunman, who had noticed the direction of his gaze and joined him in contemplation of the sleeping ninja. "Yuffie isn't going to be able to finish her materia quest, now that she won't be returning to the crater any longer," he rumbled with a hint of regret. "She's going to have to return to Wutai and face her father after this."

Vincent rubbed his face with his hand wearily. "You might be surprised, Nanaki," he hinted, his hand straying to a few of the orbs still faithfully embedded in his Death Penalty. "Still, I don't understand. The amount of work she's done so far is incredible. Why wouldn't Godo be pleased? What is she hiding from?"

Nanaki's tail twitched slightly as he considered. "She asked me not to tell anyone," he began slowly. "But I think she would want you to know, now."

Vincent stiffened at the words; he had been expecting something similar, but it still bothered him to know that Yuffie was keeping secrets from him despite their newfound attachment. Instinctively, he knew he was partly at fault for her behavior. He saw it in her eyes, the glimmer of hope when she glanced in his direction, that he might return her feelings of affection. For now they were stuck in a strange, comfortable yet confining quagmire, somehow more than friends and less than lovers.

"Yuffie's vow wasn't exactly made for the reasons she told you and the others," Nanaki continued, turning his head and giving the cavern a cursory glance. "The vow itself is no lie, of course. Wutai has always been known for strictness concerning the more technical points of preserving one's honour," he grumbled. "But she helped us save the world, Vincent, helped us defeat Sephiroth and meteor. She could take over leadership of Wutai any time she wanted. Godo Kisaragi doesn't remain in power by choice right now."

Vincent's eyebrow shot up in surprise as he considered Nanaki's words. Since the destruction of the Shinra corporation, Wutai was the single most powerful nation remaining on the entire planet. Now that he thought of it, Yuffie had managed to keep her original promise after all. Wutai could return to greatness, and easily, by virtue of its existence alone. He couldn't imagine Yuffie, so carefree and spirited, in charge of all that power. It was still strange enough to think of Cloud and Reeve as heads of state without the brash young ninja joining their ranks. "She doesn't want to rule," he said, more a statement than a question.

"Oh no," Nanaki surprised him with his correction. "Yuffie can be a mature young woman when she wants to. I'm sure she'd be proud to take charge of Wutai and do the things that Godo never could. You know Wutai's history? That her mother was the leader of their clan before the war with Shinra? A strong-willed woman, or so I heard. There wasn't anyone but Godo to take her place after Sephiroth killed her. Godo Kisaragi's a good man, but he never had the stomach for leadership," the lion growled. "But Yuffie does. I can see it. You can see it. Even her father can see it."

Vincent paused, considering Nanaki's words. It all made sense, he realized faintly. Except for one small fact. "Why doesn't she return to Wutai?"

Nanaki exhaled through his massive nose noisily. "Wutai is a land steeped in tradition, Vincent. Too deeply steeped, I would say. A woman can't take the throne without a husband at her side and the promise of an heir."

This stopped Vincent cold. "So she's running away," he said monotonously, wondering at the sudden weight in his chest. He remembered her words suddenly.

" _ My vow to Wutai has to be filled before I turn 25." _

"Not running away," he corrected himself. "She is procrastinating." Suddenly he understood. Her loud complaints about the state of her romantic life. Her secret collection of mastered materia, carefully hidden from the others. Her self-made goal.  _ She gave herself until 25, and then she will return to Wutai and marry some man that Godo places before her in order to take the throne, _ he realized. It left a bitter, unpleasant taste in his mouth.

"I don't like it any more than you," Nanaki admitted, "but there's nothing  **_I_ ** can do." His good eye regarded Vincent almost accusingly.

The gunman wasn't listening to his companion, rising and letting his feet unconsciously carry him closer to the sleeping girl. He had promised to stay with her no matter what would come. That promise was now a dreaded burden, as he considered the future, one which was approaching much too quickly for his taste. What would happen in four years? Would he remain at her side, watching from the shadows as Godo handed her the mantle of Wutai's power with a puppet of a husband standing at her elbow?  _ She should have told me sooner, _ a small part of him raged angrily, clawing at his heart. He forced his inner turmoil to cease as he gently shook the ninja awake.

"Nnn… g'way Vince, s'not mornin' yet…" she breathed, stubbornly squeezing her eyes shut.

"We need to talk," he said quietly.

The note of urgency in his voice won over the little demon in her head that was telling her to roll over and go back to sleep, and she grumbled irritably as she woke. Carefully extracting herself from the pile of cubs, Yuffie grabbed her weapon and pulled him away from the sleeping lions. When they were finally alone in the passage, she turned to him, eyelids still heavy with sleep. "What's up, Vince?" she whispered tiredly. He stared down at her, his face returning the hard mask she hadn't remembered seeing since his first arrival months ago at Cosmo Canyon. "Vincent?" she asked uncertainly, the last vestiges of sleepiness quickly being replaced by worry.

When he finally spoke, his voice was cold and bitter. "Why didn't you tell me, Yuffie?"

Yuffie's mind searched wildly for an explanation. "Tell you  _ what _ , Vincent?" Her face suddenly darkened, and she growled at him in annoyance. "Gawd, Vinnie, you woke me up for  _ that _ ? Okay, I'm sorry, but Kikacha wouldn't let me have any peace until I did it. Listen, I only cut off a little bit, and it'll grow back before you even notice that it's gone. Don't get so excited!" she huffed.

Vincent filed this information away for later, his thoughts too upset to process it coherently. "Not that, Yuffie. About your vow. Godo and the leadership of Wutai. Your  _ marriage _ , Yuffie," he hissed.

Yuffie's mouth closed with a snap, her eyes wide and glowing in the darkness. "I'm sorry, Vincent," she whispered. "I… I didn't think it was something you needed to know."

His eyes were like chips of red flint as they bored into her own. "You thought I wouldn't want to know? Or was this another clever Kisaragi plan?" he growled, advancing on her as a feeling of fury beat its wings violently inside his chest. "Did I catch your eye, Yuffie? Is that why you asked me to stay with you? All of this just a clever way to get Vincent Valentine into your bed?" He leaned down, pushing his face against hers until he was dangerously close, his eyes burning with living fire. "Am I just another convenient stepping stone on your path to Wutai's throne?" His scalding words bit deep, and she winced under his scrutiny.

Yuffie had never been much of a lady. Other women might have cried, or with a little more willpower, pushed Vincent away or even slapped him. But she was the Great Ninja Yuffie Kisaragi, and she didn't take crap, not even from her dearest friends. So it was without a second thought that she drew her fist back and punched him squarely in the face, sending him flying away in pain and surprise.

"How dare you, Vincent Valentine!" she said, shaking with fury. "You really think I'm that shallow? What, the past three months of baring my damn soul to you in this pit not enough to make you see that? You're a jerk, Vincent Valentine, a royal, number one, class-A jerk, and I hope that punch hurt a whole damn lot!" she yelled at him, tears springing up in her eyes. "'Cause it sure didn't hurt like what you just said," she added, before turning and fleeing into the dark depths of the passage.

Vincent pushed himself off of the wall, cupping his hand over his bleeding nose as he watched her sprint away. A low groan escaped him. "What have I done?"


	9. Growth

It all happened so suddenly, Yuffie could have laughed. _It's like living a bad cliché,_ she thought to herself wildly as she regarded the tiny creature swinging its lantern before her. Of course the Master Tonberry just had to be waddling through the passage she had chosen to sprint down, of course while she was too busy to look where she was going, and of course cornering her now with its ridiculous butcher's knife in the light of its glowing lantern.

 _Never been a cliché girl before. It would ruin my form to start now,_ she thought annoyedly, sending the Oritsuru flying towards the creature in a deadly arc. Yuffie Kisaragi was angry and well trained. It was a bad combination for the unfortunate Tonberry, who dropped its lantern and shrieked in pain as its scaly hide was lacerated by her merciless attacks. In a matter of moments it was over, the Tonberry still reaching weakly for the fallen lantern with its dying gasps as she turned away contemptuously. _A girl can't even get a good fight down here anymore,_ she thought with irritation, hanging the metal crane off the belt of her shorts. _Not like it would matter,_ she thought, fingering the protective materia on her bracelet sadly. She was just too good at building fortresses and defending herself. Yuffie wasn't sure she could hurt herself if she tried. _So why's it so easy for Vincent to do it, then?_ her rebellious mind reminded her, making her shiver and wrap her arms around herself. She felt the telltale drops of moisture forming at the corners of her eyes and blinked stubbornly, trying to will her tears away. "Is he really so disgusted by the idea of being close to me?" she whispered brokenly into the darkness.

It was a moment of feminine weakness, one that Yuffie might have kicked herself for if she hadn't been so inclined to give in to her feelings of self-pity at that moment. _But damn it, I wanna have a good cry for once!_ she thought stubbornly. Like she had weeks before in the Gi cavern. On Vincent's shoulder. That thought didn't help lift her spirits.

So lost was Yuffie in her contemplation that she didn't notice the malicious flicker of two yellow eyes as the bloody claw managed to close around the handle of its lantern. There was, in fact, one thing that could make a Tonberry more angry than being lied to, and that was being ignored. Had she realized this, Yuffie might have understood why she shared such a strong affinity with the strange little creatures. As it was, she didn't even notice as the Tonberry used the last of its breath to push its spell out, the flames of the lantern rising slightly. It was only when the crackle of magic made the ends of her hair stand on end that she turned around and realized the spell had been cast.

"Aww, crap…" she muttered as darkness clouded her vision and the licking flames rose around her.

Vincent swiftly made his way down the passage, carefully checking for signs of Yuffie's progress. The little ninja still was the fastest member of their group, and the various twists and maze-like passages the crater was split into didn't make his task any easier. It did give him enough time for a healthy dose of reflection and self-recrimination.

 _How could I be so stupid?_ he thought to himself. The young ninja might have been pleased to listen in on his thoughts, but Vincent knew he would have earned every bit of her mocking wrath. _She is not Lucretia!_ he growled to himself, scowling once more. The gunman knew Yuffie cared for him, perhaps even more concretely than he knew of Lucretia's ambivalent affections towards himself. The two women couldn't be further apart in every possible way. Lucretia, with her beautiful curves, her long shining hair, and soft green eyes; his Lucretia, who wouldn't have known how to handle a weapon even if she had written the instruction manual herself. She had masked the softness of her body behind long, loose white lab coats, covered her expressive eyes with thick glasses and kept her sweeping hair pulled away from her face in a strict ponytail. She wanted her career, not his love, and when it was forced upon her, she had used it and twisted it, leaving him a bitter and broken man.

Yuffie's entire lifestyle was a garish contrast to Lucretia, the consummate professional. The ninja was skinny and boyish, with her short, messy hair and overly bright and revealing clothing. She was sticks and stones and hard edges and proud of it. No hidden agendas or feminine wiles lurked beneath her wide, open smile; she held none of Lucretia's mysterious beauty or driven ambition, her lips didn't promise passion and her eyes held no sultry beckon. The only things Yuffie had ever given him were friendship and youthful optimism, without any strings attached. He knew she wanted more, but she held her feelings in check, cautiously waiting for him to make the first move. He appreciated her kindness, but he hadn't been interested in Yuffie as a woman. She was nothing like his first love. _And yet,_ he realized with a growing sense of urgency as he made his way down the passage. _And yet, I love her. She's childish, impulsive and obnoxious, and I love her more than I ever loved Lucretia. I am such a fool._

His halted his dark train of thought as he saw a familiar figure sprawled in the passage before him. Concern grew into full-blown panic as he recognized the limp form of the ninja, the lantern of the slain Tonberry still sputtering beside her. "Yuffie!" the cry tore from his throat as he raced forward.

"Just kick me while I'm down, why dontcha," Yuffie muttered angrily as the familiar pagoda of Wutai shimmered into view before her. _Always the same, here comes Godo, and then I'll fight mother,_ she thought, steeling herself for the encounter. But surprise caught her as an unexpected figure shimmered into view. It was her mother standing in place of Godo, her long chocolate hair swimming to the floor in waves and dressed in a soft kimono instead of the usual plated armour. "Mama?" Yuffie said uncertainly, the grip on her shuriken tightening nervously. "You're not supposed to be here," she whispered.

The woman smiled at her radiantly, shaking her head softly at her daughter. _"But you've already defeated me. You must face your next opponent now."_ Dread and fear welled up in the pit of Yuffie's stomach as her mother stepped aside, revealing the figure that stood behind her.

"No…" she whimpered as he strode forward, the blood red folds of his cloak unfurling around him.

" _Face me, Yuffie,"_ he told her, beckoning with his golden claw. _"You must defeat me."_

"I… I can't," she told him, knowing that he wasn't real. That didn't stop her heart from clenching painfully in her chest as she looked upon his terrible beauty. The shuriken fell from her fingers as he strode forward, morphing into the terrible, leathery-winged form of the Chaos beast.

" _Then die,"_ he roared, tearing at her with his claws, and she felt herself falling into darkness. There was a faint stirring in her breast, the tingle of the Phoenix summon moving slightly within her as the vision cleared and her body lurched forward. _I'm so tired,_ she thought, a small portion of her mind vaguely thinking that she should really be more concerned. The magic spark of the summon flickered and died out, and her lifeless body hit the ground.

Vincent knelt by Yuffie's prone form, cradling her figure in his arms. Her body was still warm, but as he checked her neck for a pulse, his worst fears were confirmed. "No…" he gasped, his eyes wild, his mask cracked as he searched desperately for her wrist. He found what he was looking for, the materia-laden bracelet jangling off of her arm as always. But the summon within it was as dull and lifeless as its owner, not even a trace of magic swirling inside of the red orb. Vincent quelled a sudden mad desire to rip the traitorous crystal out from its holder and smash it against the wall. "Yuffie," he said brokenly, cradling her gently and burying his face in her neck, his mako-enhanced body refusing to allow him even the simple release of tears.

As he held her, lost under the crushing weight of his agony, he felt a sharp pang in his breast. Y _es… only fitting that I join you,_ he thought bitterly, reaching for the twisting pain inside of himself. _Come, Chaos, you can feast on my body. I failed, I failed again._ Instead of the expected pain and descent into madness, however, he felt an incredible heat. Vincent closed his eyes and concentrated once more, pulling. _Not Chaos_ , he thought suddenly. _This is not Chaos!_

Vincent allowed himself to dare to hope as the feverish heat washed over his body. The soft glow emitting from his bracelet confirmed his suspicions as he felt the movement of the summon within himself. He pulled once again, this time desperately, trying to coax it out. "Why? Why won't you come?" he grit out after failing once more. Precious seconds were ticking away, and he could feel Yuffie's body growing colder against his own with each moment.

" _The phoenix… it gives you life, but it takes something away each time, too."_ The words echoed through his memory, and he latched onto it, understanding coming quickly. "A sacrifice… the phoenix needs a sacrifice in order to give life," he breathed.

Once more Vincent closed his eyes, this time calming his mind and reaching deep within himself. He felt the power of the summon even as he found what he had been searching for. Sighing, he opened his mind to the beast trapped in the crystal orb, displaying his offering before it. _Please,_ he thought in quiet desperation. _Please._

There was a shifting, and relief flooded through him even as pain drummed a fiery beat along his nerves. It felt as though he was being turned inside out, and Vincent's inhuman cry of pain transformed into the scream of the Phoenix as it rose out of him, bathing the cavern with its holy fire.

… … …

Yuffie woke slowly, her temples thundering as she regained consciousness. "Didn't think I challenged Cid to a drinking contest recently…" she mumbled, her eyes fluttering open.

"You're not drunk," came a monotonous reply.

Yuffie's eyes shot open as she identified the voice, realizing she was lying in his arms. "Vincent!" she squeaked, a hot red blush rising to her cheeks. Then she scowled at him, her eyes growing hard. "Gimmie one good reason I shouldn't sock you again right now," she growled.

"I just saved your life," he answered with a hint of amusement.

Yuffie glanced around, noting the fallen form of the Tonberry as she sorted through her memories. "Oh…" she said, another blush rising to her face. "That's, uh, that's a pretty good reason, Vince," she said lamely. Vincent didn't acknowledge her, his eyes trained carefully on her face as he remained completely motionless. "Um, thanks a lot, you can let me go now y'know," she added, feeling distinctly self-conscious. _Oh man, why does the cold fish have to be so cute,_ she thought to herself as she stared into his pale face.

"No," he said eventually, shifting his arms and pulling her closer. This caused Yuffie to squeak. "No what?" she asked him nervously. "No, I don't think I can let you go," he answered patiently, a tiny smile actually managing to surface on his face as she squirmed in his arms uncomfortably.

Yuffie choked slightly, sure that her own cheeks were going to start giving off steam fairly soon. "Why not?" she managed to whisper, her eyes wide and nervous.

"Because I'm in love with you," he answered, watching carefully for her reaction.

It was as to be expected. "YOU BIG JERK!" she screamed, coming to life like a wriggling snake in his arms and swatting at his head wildly with both of her hands. "GAWD! I should've punched you in both eyes, I should've shaved your entire head like Kikacha wanted!" she exclaimed furiously.

Vincent shut his eyes and lowered his head, wincing as the rain of blows descended. Finally, she relented, grabbing his chin roughly and pulling his head back up. "Don't you ever go and do something that idiotic to me again, you stupid man!" she yelled, and then pressed her lips against his tightly.

"Hey Vince." Yuffie tilted her head upwards and regarded her tall companion as they walked back towards the Materia Falls, hand in hand. "I really died, huh? Gave up the ghost, started pushin' up daises, was feeding the fishes?"

He nodded slightly, looking uncomfortable as she chatted away. "Yuffie, I don't like speaking of it," he said warningly.

She bit her lip and pushed a stray lock of hair away from her face with her other hand. "Well, um, y'know…" she mumbled nervously. "You brought me back with the phoenix, though," she pressed. "But you weren't dead, Vince. How'd you… I mean, what'd you… well… I mean, it TAKES something," she said, her voice hesitant and questioning. When the gunman didn't answer, she assumed the worst and ducked her head sadly. "I'm sorry, Vincent," she whispered sorrowfully.

He stopped walking and pulled her to him, enveloping her in a tender embrace. "Don't be sorry, Yuffie," he told her gently. "I regret nothing."

"But what'd you give him?" she asked, rubbing her cheek against his shoulder.

Vincent smiled and pressed a small kiss onto the top of her head. "I gave the phoenix a very special gift," he said. _A blessed and a cursed gift,_ he thought to himself. One that, despite his mixed feelings over his first love, he had been unable to let go of until faced with a choice. _I chose life. I chose you, Yuffie._ "I can no longer transform into Chaos."

She wrapped her arms around his waist and squeezed him tightly. "Seems like you got a pretty nice deal to me," she told him jokingly, but her voice was thick with tears. Maybe they were tears of regret, or maybe tears of relief, but it didn't matter to him as her arms betrayed her reply. _I choose you too_.

When the Highwind came to collect them, it was hard to tell if Cid was more surprised by the clan of bedraggled lions that trailed onto his ship after Nanaki, or the sight of Yuffie and Vincent boarding together hand in hand. When the news spread to the others, the new discoveries caused a huge uproar among the former members of AVALANCHE that was only mildly overshadowed by Cid's angry bellowing upon seeing the true extent of Yuffie's materia collection.

Almost a year after her last adventure in the crater, Yuffie Kisaragi finished the book of materia analysis she had promised to write and left Cosmo Canyon permanently to take up her responsibilities in Wutai. Her written work as well as her materia collection was left behind to act as a living museum for the planet. Together with the Huge Materia, it helped to make the peaceful Canyon renowned as the most comprehensive source for the continued the study of planetary energy for decades afterwards.

Vincent Valentine, as mysterious as ever, quietly followed Yuffie to Wutai, never failing in his promise to remain by her side. Godo was understandably not pleased by the development of their relationship, particularly when the gunman revealed his family tree. Still, Yuffie took after her mother in more ways than one, and quickly forced down any dissent to her partner of choice. Though he was her husband, Vincent gladly took the Kisaragi name as his own, giving Yuffie the freedom to rule her people as she saw fit despite the strict traditions of Wutai.

The mako enhancements experienced by both Vincent and Yuffie ensured for a very unique set of heirs for generations afterwards. The Kisaragis became known for their deathly pale skin, unusual glowing eyes, and always, their unbreakable willpower. Yuffie herself lived for an unusually long time, her body never truly maturing though her hair did grey with the passing of years. Her departure from the world was as unexpectedly peaceful as her life had been chaotic, falling asleep in Vincent's arms one late autumn afternoon and never waking up.

Vincent lived on, his unaging body a constant reminder of his past. He remained in Wutai after Yuffie's death long enough to see the birth of his grandchildren, and then left for the wilds of Cosmo Canyon, where it was said that he died alone. Only Nanaki knew the truth, that the gunman had entombed himself to eternal slumber in one of the countless materia caverns of the canyon, where the song reminded him of Yuffie's laughter.

For the lion, life returned to normal shortly after Borah and his tribe bid the residents of Cosmo Canyon a mixed farewell. They settled in the fertile valley, well away from the human encampment, asking only to be left alone. Nanaki remained behind and continued his quiet life within the village. The two lions still did not see eye to eye, especially where humans were concerned, but Borah had developed a grudging respect for the younger cat. In turn, Nanaki vowed to protect the Gi clan, a promise which he upheld until the end of his days.


	10. Author's Essay

**Author's Essay** (because it really is too long to be called a note)

First of all, for Yuffie and Vincent fans, I wrote an epilogue to the story that will hopefully satisfy any ill-will from the lack of romance in this piece. I'm keeping it separate because it doesn't really work as a "trio" story and also to keep the rating of the primary piece at PG. If you'd like to read the sequel, look for my one-shot titled " **Autumn Song**."

**FF7 Strategy Tips**

It came out over the course of the writing that I am a real materia nerd. A lot of people started asking me strategy questions, so here are the answers summarized.

Mystile bracelets are the best armour in the game. You can actually dodge Ultimas about 60 of the time with them. I've only ever found two in total, though.

The Emerald Weapon, like all the others, gives you MAD CRAZY amounts of AP. If you know the "secret" of the Aire Tam Storm attack (read it backwards in a mirror), you know it's really difficult to cash in on all that AP the weapon has to offer. But true materia nerds also know, you just can't pass a sweet deal like that up, either. So here's the secret - use unmastered materia except for 3 HP pluses and 2 mimes (1 per character). Use Cloud, Cid, and someone else (I go personally for Yuffie because All Creation takes care of those pesky eyes with one shot). Put rune armlets on all of them, and equip the triple AP weapons on Cloud and Cid and a double-growth weapon on the third character. If your characters are of a high enough level, the stomp won't hurt enough to kill them. If you think you can do it in under 20 minutes, don't even bother with the underwater materia, either. It helps to bring at least Cloud to the battle with his limit break meter already filled for a potshot. I would recommend however loading up your third character, who should have links on their double-growth weapon, with KotR and HP Absorb, as well as mime on the bracelet, since the attacks of double and triple growth weapons are so weak. Don't forget to equip mimes on everyone else, too. Finally if you hit the weapon from behind instead of charging it head-on, it doesn't start with its eyes!

Mythril can be found while you're on the first disc. Go to the cave and make sure that you have a number of battle wins that is all the same and odd, like 11 or 33 or 555 (the sleeping miner will tell you how many you have if you don't meet the requirements), then he gives it to you.

The Twin Viper is not Yuffie's best double-growth weapon, but I never managed to steal the Rising Sun. So... Yuffie doesn't have it in this fiction, either.

Master Tonberries are some of the best enemies in the game, and you can really morph ribbons out of them (if you survive). But Movers and Magic Pots still give you more AP; all are found in the Northern Crater.

Breeding black chocobos requires first having a blue and green chocobo of opposing sexes. Then all you need is a carob nut, patience, and your reset button. An S racing class on both parents helps speed up the process. Of course you could always skip the black chocobo step by trading in the Desert Rose for a gold chocobo. If you like racing, though, black chocobos are smarter.

The Ruby Weapon can be defeated even without the KotR. As long as you have Hades, you can kill it any way you want; summon every once in a while, then sit back and relax. Just be sure to kill off 2 of your party members before the battle begins and resurrect them before it ends, or else you won't reap the full benefit of the AP bonus!

Limit Breaks are usually obtained by using your first limit about 8 times, and then killing 40-60 enemies to get your second. Rinse and repeat for each limit level. The exceptions to this rule are Cloud and Vincent, who need about 80 enemies instead, and of course Cait Sith. Fourth level limit breaks are items which need to be found.

**Theories and Premises**

I like to think of Yuffie as the "material sorter" of the party during the game. You can't be that single-minded without developing some sort of skill.

I also subscribe to the theory that Vincent was Sephiroth's genetic father. Well, they look alike, right down to height, and at least to me, Hojo is too nasty to spawn a prettyboy like Sephiroth.

A topic of constant debate amongst non Yuffie and Vincent fans is that Yuffie is, in the game, a tender 16 years old, and Vincent, by comparison, is a disgustingly old 57. If you use Japanese dates (which I don't), then Yuffie is 14, making it even worse. I would like to debunk the theory that they wouldn't work out as a couple for at least the American version of the game. Vincent was 27 when he got shot by Hojo and put in the coffin. He then SLEPT for 30 years there. That's right, he slept, unconscious, for 30 years, having nightmares about what a bad man he was until Cloud woke him up. That makes the age of his body in the game a physical 57. Maybe you could say he spent a year feeling malcontent before he retreated to the coffin, but that would still make him technically only 28 years old. Vincent might have the body of an old geezer, but his conscious mind is younger than that of Cid and Barret, and if you want to get technical, he's even "younger" than Sephiroth, which opens a whole can of worms if you subscribe to the theory that he is Sephiroth's genetic father.

Now there will still be some naysayers who will point out that Yuffie is still only 16 years old, and even if Vincent has got the mind of a 27 year old, that's still 11 years of difference between them. And to this I say, yes, you're right. I don't see Yuffie and Vincent being able to have a relationship during or right after the game, it makes good ol' Vinnie seem like a lech of "Miroku" proportions. But let me say this – the difference in age becomes less important the older people get. I'd think by the time Yuffie reached 19 or older, a romance between the two wouldn't be implausible. Particularly since Vincent's body wouldn't be aging all this time. For those of you who still sneer and groan and say it's gross, my parents have successfully shared a 10-year age difference in their marriage for over 25 years now. –I- don't see a problem with their age difference.

I don't like treating Chaos as an independent entity who hates his host and wants to destroy him. Parasites might damage their host sometimes, but they don't live expressly to kill because they'd destroy themselves, too. If Chaos -was- a separate personality, I'd think Vincent and he would share a symbiotic relationship, not a confrontational one. But you don't have to worry about any of that, Chaos manifestation here is... well... just the expression of Vincent's "anger" limit, breaking. (Punny! -sweatdrop-)

My interpretation of summoning is that the summoner becomes the creature he or she calls. So if the writing and perspective is confusing during the summons... well, good, that's what I was trying for!

**Links**

A tip for authors who struggle with original names for their characters – Chris Pound's varied collection of name generators, both real and fantasy, can help any struggling writer out. "Borah" is from the Klingon generator. Check it out at "www DOT ruf DOT rice DOT edu FORWARD SLASH pound", or just use Google if that's too much work to translate.

Self-made art for this story exists under "www DOT eccentrik DOT org SLASH enkida" - use the menu to click on the section "art – fanart."

Well, that's it, folks. Hopefully the whole story still works within the original ending of the game, I was striving to make something that would "fit" the FF7 world. Now all I have to do is sit back and wait for Advent Children and Dirge of Cerberus to blow my fanfiction universe to bits, right? -good-natured grumble-


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